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THE WORLD'S 
GBEAT EMPIKES: 

A COURSE OF 

EIGHT LECTURES, 



BY 



ux 

MRS. L. C. iVTcKINSTRY 



PRESENTING A FULL HISTORY OF EACH OF THE FOUR GREAT EMPIRES 
WHICH HAVE SUCCESSIVELY HELD SWAY OVER ALL NATIONS IN 

THE WORLD'S HISTORY THE BABYLONIAN THE MEDO-PERSIAN 

THE GRECIAN AND THE ROMAN ; CITING THE PROPHE- 
CIES OF THE BIBLE WHICH APPLY TO THEM, IN THE 
ORDER IN WHICH THEY OCCUR, AT THE CLOSE 
OF EACH LECTURE. THE FINAL LECTURE 
BEING DEVOTED TO THE FIFTH EMPIRE 
(YET FUTURE) , THE KINGDOM OF 



/ 



THE MOUNTAIN. 



ILLUSTRATED BY A MAP AND CHARTS. 



PUBLISHED BY 

L. C. McKI^STRY. 




BOSTON, MASS: 
1883. 



: 



THE LIBRARY 

OF CONGRESS 

WASHINGTON 



TT^r- 



COPYRIGHTED 

By L. C. McKIXSTRY, 

7883. 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 



W. Kellaway, Book Printer, 11 & 15 Dock Square, Boston. 



PREFACE. 



Another book, among many, is here presented to the public ; a book 
which has grown out of and into providential circumstances. 

It is, as it purports to be, a course of lectures of The World's Great 
Empires, and is but the written counterpart of verbal lectures which the 
authoress bas been giving during the last three years, in different places, 
except that in the book the lectures are more full and complete than they 
have been as given on the platform, where want of time has often made 
brief what in the book is more elaborate and complete, when necessary, for 
the interests of the subjects presented. 

To facilitate the study of the subjects presented, the system of marginal 
notes has been adopted for the book, by which all the important events, 
names and dates can be traced readily, so that what is in the text of the 
book can be the more readily found. As there are only eight lectures, 
there are eight divisions of the book, and therefore the marginal notes 
are of the greater value. One can readily see at once the importance of 
these notes, and the increased value which they give to the book. 

The character of the book is peculiar to itself: no other similar one ever 
having been published. 

It is Historical- Projihetical, and covers in its themes those Great 
Empires which in their order have arisen on the earth, and have borne 
rule over all minor kingdoms, and have spread themselves everywhere, 
wherever they could find a government of man's to control. 

These Empires — the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Grecian and Roman 
— are considered naturally in the order in which they have existed from 
ancient times to the present, in consolidated form, or in broken and di- 
vided factions, till the territory has been surrendered, with its inhabitants, 
to their conquering successors. 

The great kings who have reigned, and then have left their crowns to 
successors with a promptness as marked as that with which they assumed 
those diadem-insignia of royalty, are noticed and named, and the facts 
and dates are given as accurately as it is possible to give them, and the 
statements of facts are reliable. 



iv Preface. 

They are given in a simple, direct manner, that they may be the better 
comprehended. 

Many historians are too complex. They carry along too many lines of 
contemporaneous events together, and thus confuse the mind ; and it is 
found that this plain, direct manner is more attractive and instructive, be- 
cause more comprehensive and comprehendable. 

But the authoress did not intend to present her lectures in this form be- 
fore the public, and even the oral lectures have been the outcome of 
Providence, rather than of design. 

• The lectures were therefore never written until after they had been sev- 
eral times repeated, and then, at first, only by a stenographer. 

Nothing was committed to memory to be repeated verbatim, but simply 
collecting the facts, they have been presented as utterance has been given. 

But the demands increased that the lectures should be given in different 
places ; and, finally, that they should be put into this more permanent 
form. 

An experienced stenographer was therefore employed, Elder C. E. 
Barnes, of Salem, Mass., and a part of the lectures were taken down and 
written out by him, which was the beginning of what is finally in this book, 
although much more full here than as at first written out, and better 
adapted to the wants of the reader. 

The object in view in giving the lectures, both oral and written, has 
not been merely to search histoiy, but to show how history has been only 
the servant of God to wait on his prophetic word, and also to show that 
prophetic utterances, made long before the historic events have transpired, 
were all faithful premonitions of what was to come ; not guesses, even 
shrewdly made, to be dependent upon contingencies, and which cluster 
around present probabilities ; but statements of what would be, even to 
the farthest bounds of time, unlimited by any apparent probabilities, 
often contrary to what seemed likely to occur, and having more reference 
to the then more remote ages than to that present time. 

The method of presenting these themes is however reversed from the 
order of God's original methods, and yet is in harmony with Hirn. He gave 
his prophecies first ; then the historic events came up to fill, like melted 
metal, the mould which prophecy had prepared for them ; but here the his- 
tory is given first, ivithout reference to prophecy, because men do not deny 
the facts ; and then the prophecy is noticed, with reference to history, 
that it may be seen, following the statements of the facts, whether the 
prophecy has been cheated of its fulfillment, or whether it has been re- 
voiced in responsive "Historic Echoes." Man has unwittingly done his 
work without design of fulfilling prophecy, and in ignorance of the declara- 
tions which have directed his steps, and it is of the deepest interest to see 



Preface. v 

what his course has been, and then to lift the veil, and see how wonder- 
fully the man and his work have been pre-figured, or pointed at by the 
index finger of prophecy. 

It is true that much of the language of prophetic utterance pertaining 
to these governments, is in symbols, which are not as plain and easy of 
comprehension as literal language would be, but there is evident design in 
this, that these symbols may be better understood in the light of the 
events which the}' pre-sj'mbolize. 

But some of the symbols are not so difficult as others ; while none of 
them are to be considered as forever incomprehensible. 

Notable among all the sj'mbols, is that of the human form, in metallic 
departments, as described in the Second chapter of Daniel. 

It is the human form, representing human governments, and it will stand, 
invulnerable and indisputable, to the end of time ; the plainest, best repre- 
sentation possible of governments which have been originated by men, 
whose form that image is. 

There are also the plainest statements of language which are made pro- 
phetically, and theyave considered, and cannot be mistaken in their applica- 
tion to the historic events, because they so directly state what the coming 
events shall be ; so as to startle one who has first heard the histoiy, and 
then hears the prophecy read which applies thereto. 

There are also plain statements to be found in the Bible, which are closely 
associated with the symbols, and which so definitely explain the appli- 
cations of those symbols to history, that when the events which they thus 
prefigure transpire, the proper application of the symbols which apply to 
those events may be clearly apparent. 

All these facts are recognized in this book, and we are taken along the 
march of time and of armies, and through the history of nations, over the 
road which God's seers had travelled in vision, and are made to feel that God 
makes good what he has spoken, and that, as in his prophecies he has 
foretold the beginning of nations, he has also foretold their end, and has 
limited the time of the reign of these human rulers, and designated what 
the order of succession should be, and what should follow after all those 
human governments have passed away. 

The Fifth Empire is therefore considered, as well as the four others; 
which the prophecy as plainly designated, when, at first, in the earliest 
symbol given, those four human dominions were placed in their succession. 
Not in that succession, but, yet to stwceed them. So The World's 
Great Empires, herein considered, are five, and the last, which has as 
yet no more existence in history than the others had before their 
supremacy, is as really to follow them as they were to take their 
place in the regular succession ; and it is to stand as long as the 



vi Preface. 

prophecy concerning it designates ; and prophecy as plainly designates 
the duration of this empire and who is to sit upon the throne of it to reign, 
as it has designated so remai'kably, even to the fulfillment of its pre-voiced 
representations, the duration and rulers of those other empires which 
have filled the place prophecy assigned them, and have gone down 
the stream of the ages to the past, marked with both pre and post character- 
izations, with prophecy, which stood sometime long centuries, waitiDg the 
coming of its historic counterpart, and the history which brought the events 
predicted into being, both claiming them, and both interlocked around 
them ; the prior designation and claim of prophecy holding the historical 
claim in serviliance to its higher one of pre-annunciation. 

This fifth Empire has certainly kept prophecy waiting long, but it shall 
not wait in vain, nor much longer be kept unmated by its historic counter- 
part. 

There can then be no question but that the themes herein presented are 
of the gravest importance. The records of history are sure evidence of the 
lapse of time, and the utterances of prophecy are proof that the events 
recorded were known beforehand, and that each of them has been placed, 
like hour-marks on the dial of the great clock of history, to designate how 
the time passes, until at last the final hour will be struck, and the clock 
stop, not to repeat those hours again ; while unmeasured duration goes on 
forever. 

Then may this book go forth to be 

Instruction to the seeking soul : 

That all may by its tracings see, 

How onward, time's vast ages roll ; 

How near the final tale is told ; 

How much of meaning our times hold ; 

How comes the Fifth Great Monarchy ; 

What that Great Empire is to be ; 

When comes the King, to take His throne, 

And all his waiting ones to own. 

God grant his blessing on the book ; 
On all who on its pages look : 
On all who read or scan its lines ; 
That, as the sun, resplendent, shines, 
Truth, the bright light of God may be 
The beacon, which the world may see ; 
And show how history's harnessed car, 
Driven through all the centuries far, 



Preface. vii 

Carries, unwitting, God's pre-told 
Out-sounded utterances of old ; 
And shows how men unmindful, do 
Work, well to prove the great seers true : 
And so may grace all readers bring, 
Into the presence of the King. 

L. C. McKINSTRY. 

Boston, June 1st, 1883. 



SUBJECT INDEX. 



LECTURE I. 
The Babylonian Empire, . . . . . • . 9 

LECTURE II. 
The Medo-Persian Empire, 51 

LECTURE III. 
The Grecian Empire, ....... 107 

LECTURE IV. 
The Koman Empire, . 189 

LECTURE V. 
The Koman Empire — Divided, 253 

LECTURE VI. 

The Koman Empire — Prophetical, . . . . .373 

The Opening of the /Seven /Seals. 

LECTURE VII. 

The Roman Empire — Prophetical, . . . . .431 

The Scarlet Beast and his Rider. 

LECTURE VIII. 
The Fifth Empire, 475 

The Stone and the Mountain. 



NOTE. 



V?e have made extensive and careful research, in order to place the his- 
torical statements of these lectures upon a thoroughly reliable basis, and 
have, therefore, consulted the most substantial historians whose writings are 
extant, comparing their statements with great care, that we might know 
the facts, and present them with confidence. 

Chief among these historical authors are, Herodotus, Xenophon, 

JOSEPHUS, EtJSEBIUS, ROLLIN, JONES, ADAMS, GlBBON, GOLDSMITH, WlL- 

lard, Smith, John Von Muller and J. S. C. Abbott. 

Beside these, we have consulted Cyclopedias, and many other historians 
of note and reliability. 

It is perhaps necessary to make special mention of our authority for 
giving the history of the Babylonian Empire — as we have given it in these 
lectures. 

Berosus, a Babylonian historian, is the oldest and most reliable author- 
ity on the subject of Babylonian history. He was a priest of Belus, and 
flourished about the time of Alexander the Great, before the city of Baby- 
lon was destroyed, and was therefore circumstanced to write a correct his- 
tory of the Babylonian rulers, because he had access to the records of the 
temple of Belus, and to the monumental inscriptions, and also to the 
"learning and traditions," of the people. 

He is mentioned as having written three books, in which he related the 
history of Babylon. Only fragments of his works are now in existence, 
but those fragments have been preserved by Josephus and Ecsebius, and 
the history of Babylon as now given by reliable authors is based princi- 
pally upon what there is to consult of Berosus, as preserved by them. 

A book has been written however, which purports to be Berosus' origi- 
nal writings, but it is spurious. It was written by one Annius of Viterbo, 
and published in the name of Berosus. Notwithstanding the fraud of 
Annius, which has been proved, some are still misled by the statements 
contained in this fraudulent book, especially with reference to Belshazzar, 
the last king of Babylon. 

The spurious Berosus mentions kings of Babylon who never existed, and 
applies the several names which have been given to Belshazzar, to several 
of these imaginary kings. 

Nabonadius, Labynit or Labynetus, are thus represented as being dif- 
ferent kings, when there is the best authority for believing that these 
names were all applied to Belshazzar. 



Note. 

This last king of Babylon reigned seventeen years, according to Jose- 
phus and Eusebius, who had access to the veritable writings of Berosus. 
But those who follow the false Berosus are obliged to divide the seventeen 
of Belshazzar's reign among the several imaginary kings, leaving him only 
about three years in which to have reigned in Babylon ; and even during 
that short period he has been represented as only an associate ruler, 
making him reign conjointly with those who existed only in imagination, 
while the names by which they were supposed to have been called, and 
which we have already mentioned, properly apply to him. 

As evidence that Belshazzar was only a second-rate ruler, and that an- 
other stood above him in the kingdom, his statement to Daniel is quoted, 
in which he promised to make that prophet the third ruler in the kingdom, 
if he should read the mysterious writing on the wall ; but there was one 
who lived in that kingdom who stood next to that king, Belshazzar, in au- 
thority, and over whom he had no right to place Daniel. That one was 
his mother, Nitocris, who was entitled as the widow of Evil-Merodac, 
his father, to hold the position of second ruler in that kingdom ; so no man, 
Daniel nor any other, could be anything above the third ruler while Bel- 
shazzar and Nitocris lived. 

Some quotations from reliable sources concerning Berosus, are here 
cited, as authority for the statements we have made. 

Anson's Classical Dictionary has the following : — 

" Berosus, a Babylonian historian, rendered much more famous by the mention of 
others, than from anything which is known of his own performances. He was a 
priest of the temple of Belus, in the time of Alexander, and having learned the 
Greek language from the Macedonians, he removed to Greece, and opened a school 
of astronomy and astrology in the Island of Cos, where his productions acquired 
him great fame with the Athenians. The ancients mention three books of his, rel- 
ative to the history of the Chaldeans (or Babylonians,) of which, Josephus and 
Eusebius have preserved fragments. 

"As a priest of Belus, he possessed every advantage which the records of the 
temple and the learning and traditions of the Chaldeans could afford, and seems 
to have composed his works with a serious regard for truth. 

"Annius of Viterbo, published a work under the name of Berosus, which was 
soon discovered to be a forgery." — Carey's Ancient Fragments, p. VIII, Prcef. 

Lempriere, in his Classical Dictionary, says : — 

"Berosus, was a native of Babylon, and priest of Belus. He composed a his- 
tory of Chalclea (or Babylon,) and signalized himself by his astronomical pre- 
dictions, and was rewarded for his learning with a statue in the gymnasium at 
Athens. The age in which he lived is not precisely known, though some flx it in 
the reign of Alexander, or 268 B.C. Some fragments of his Chaldean history are 
preserved by Josephus, Contra Appian, and in Antiq. Jud. 105. The book that is 
now extant under his name, and speaks of kings that never existed, is a superstitious 
fabrication." 

The People's Cyclopedia, recently published, and others, may be con- 
sulted in corroboration of these statements. 




shjoVvinIg, 
- THE TER^ITOF^Y 

OF THE 

FOUR GREAT EMPH 

OFThk 



Cy W , BUREAU 



Trcpt'c of Cancer 



Oraum expre&slij fa • this irork^-. 



I 



Heliotypt Printing Co Boston. 



THE 



Object of 
these Lec- 
tures. 



History "a 
dry sub- 
ject," 



but im- 
portant. 



What will 
awaken an 
interest in 
the study 
of history. 



Meaning of 
the word 
history. 

God's 
story: 



WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 

LECTURE I. 

THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. 

INTRODUCTION. 

"We purpose, in this course of lectures, to give a history 
of " The Four Great Empires of the World," — the Baby- 
lonian, the Medo-Persian, the Grecian and the Roman, — 
which have existed in consecutive order, holding sway over 
all other nations. 

But history is called a "dry subject," especially ancient 
history. To read long pages of solid matter, in small, 
blurr-faced type, in order to get a description of past 
events, is a task which but few are willing to perform ; 
and yet the history of our world is important, and should 
be understood ; not simply that we may know what has 
been, but that we may understand the relation which the 
events of history sustain to the prophetic declarations of 
God's Word. 

When we appreciate the fact that God, who created the 
world, declared "the end from the beginning," giving to 
men the principal events that would occur in its history, 
describing them in prophetic language, it excites in our 
minds an earnest desire to read the historian's record of 
the events as they have transpired, that we may see how 
remarkably the prophecy has been fulfilled. 

History is the narration of events which have occurred. 
The word means simply His-story. 

God has given His story beforehand, and it is called 
Prophecy. 



10 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



man s 
story. 

The im- 
portance of 
comparing 
the two. 



From the 
Creation to 
the deluge 
but little is 
recorded. 

The ac- 
count. 



Ten gen- 
erations 
traced 
through 
the names 
of the 
eldest sons. 



A.M. 1656 
The flood. 



Noah and 
his sons 
saved. 



Waters 
assuaged. 

The Ark 

upon 

Ararat. 

Noah and 
his sons 
leave the 
Ark ; 
The earth 
peopled 
from them. 

The three 
sons of 
Noah. 

Their 

proper 

order. 



Man has given Ms story, after the events have trans- 
pired, and it is called History. 

By reading man's account of what has been, and com- 
paring it with God's description of what would be, we see 
that, as the different events have filled their places in 
history, they have fulfilled prophecy. 

This world has been peopled for nearly six thousand 
years ; but of its history prior to that wonderful event 
known as the deluge, but little is recorded. All the 
account we have of it is found in the first seven chapters 
of the Bible. 

That short record covers a period of about sixteen 
hundred and fifty-six years. 

During that time ten generations lived, who are traced 
in succession through the names of the first-born sons, 
extending from Adam to Noah, as follows : — Adam, Seth, 
(Cain having been set aside,) Enos, Cainan, Mahalaleel, 
Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech and Noah ; thus 
bringing us down to the year 1656 A. M. At that time 
the people were cut off by the flood on account of their 
wickedness, with the exception of Noah and his wife, his 
three sons and their wives, who were saved in the ark, 
because they followed God's directions and prepared a 
place of safety. 

When the waters were assuaged from off the earth and 
dry land appeared, the ark rested upon the mountains of 
Ararat, in the country of Armenia, and when the earth 
was dried Noah and his sons went forth from that ark, 
with instructions to "be fruitful and multiply upon the 
earth," and from them the earth was peopled, and back to 
them every nation on the earth can be successfully traced, 
for its origin. 

The three sons of Noah, in the order in which they are 
first mentioned, were Shem, Ham, and Japheth ; but, as 
we notice their genealogy particularly, we learn that 
Japheth was the first-born son, Shem the second, and 
Ham the third. 

These three sons, with their descendants, settled in 



THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. 



11 



Origin of 

different 
nations. 



different localities, and from them descended the different 
nations ; and, as it is quite essential to understand the 
origin of nations, we call attention to the immediate 
descendants of Noah's sons, and the nations which origin- 
ated from them. 



Japheth ; 
his seven 
sons. 



Gomer and 
his de- 
scendants. 



Magog; 
his de- 
scendants. 

Madai, and 
his de- 
scendants. 



Javan, and 
his de- 
scendants. 

Tubal, and 
his de- 
scendants. 

Meshech ; 
his de- 
scendants. 

Tiras and 
his de- 
scendants. 



I. Japheth, the eldest son of Noah, had seven sons, 
namely, Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, 
and Tiras. 

(1) Gomer settled north-west of the Black Sea, and 
from him descended the Russians, Germans, Gauls and 
Britons. 

(2) Magog settled north of the Caspian Sea, and the 
ancient Scythians descended from him. 

(3) Madai settled south of the Caspian Sea, and gave 
to that country his name — Madai, or Media, and his 
descendants were called Medes. 

(4) Javan settled in the country afterward known as 
Greece, and from him descended the Ionians or Grecians. 

(5) Tubal settled between the Black Sea and the 
Caspian Sea, and from him descended the Iberians. 

(6) Meshech settled between the Black Sea and the 
country of Armenia, and from him the Moschi descended. 

(7) Tiras settled in the vicinity of what is now called 
Constantinople, in Europe, and from him the Thracians 
descended, and that country was anciently called Thrace. 



Shem and 
his five 
sons. 



Elam and 
his de- 
scendants. 



Ashur and 
his de- 
scendants. 



II. Shem, the second son of Noah, had five sons, 
namely, Elam, Ashur, Arphaxad, Lud and Aram ; who 
were also the origin of different nations. 

(1) Elam settled south of Media, and gave to that 
country his name, and it was anciently known as Elam ; 
and his descendants were called Elamites. Afterward 
that country was called Persia, and its inhabitants Per- 
sians. 

(2) Ashur settled on the eastern bank of the river 
Tigris, and gave his name to that country, and it was 
called Assyria ; and his descendants were the Assyrians. 



12 



THE WORLD'S GEE AT EMPIRES. 



Arphaxad 
and his de- 
scendants. 



Lud, his 
descend- 
ants. 



Aram and 
his de- 
scendants. 



(3) Arphaxad settled on the river Euphrates, and 
from him descended the ancient Arphaxadenes, or Chal- 
deans. 

(4) Lud settled in Asia Minor, and the Ludians, or 
Lydians, descended from him, and the country of Lydia 
was so called from his name. 

(5) Aeam settled between the river Euphrates and the 
Mediterranean Sea, and from him descended the Syrians, 
and the inhabitants of North Mesopotamia. 



Ham and 
his four 
sons. 

Cush and 
his de- 
scendants. 

Mizraim 
and his de- 
scendants. 



Phut and 
his de- 
scendants. 

Canaan 
and his de- 
scendants. 



III. Ham, the third son of Noah, had four sons, Cush, 
Mizraim, Phut and Canaan. 

(1) Cush settled in Ethiopia, and from him descended 
the Ethiopians, who were for a long time called Cushites. 

(2) Mizraim settled in the country now known as 
Egypt, and from him descended the Egyptians. That 
country was first called Mizraim. 

(3) Phut settled in the north of Africa, and from 
him the ancient Lybians descended. 

(4) Canaan settled on the eastern shore of the Medi- 
terranean Sea, and from him descended the Canaanites. 



They be- 
come am- 
bitious to 
make a 
name. 

A monu- 
ment in the 
land of 
Shinar. 

Confusion 
of tongues. 

The result 
of their 
effort ; 

Tower of 
Babel. 



We mio-ht continue thus to trace their descendants as 
they branched in different directions, until we fully 
understood the origin of the various nations which now 
exist upon the earth, but we do not purpose to do so. 

As people began to multiply upon the earth, they 
departed from God, and became ambitious to make them- 
selves a name, by erecting a monument in the land of 
Shinar that should "reach unto heaven," and stand to 
their glory forever. The work was commenced and 
carried forward with great zeal, until the structure was 
built to considerable height ; but God was displeased with 
their course, and confounded their language. 

Their work ended in confusion, and the unfinished 
tower was left a monument to their shame and disgrace. 

The monument was called the " Tower of Babel," which 
means the tower of confusion. 



THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. 



13 



its height. 



One lan- 
guage to 
that time. 

The origin 
of different 
languages. 



It is said to have been six hundred and sixty feet high ; 
the highest monument ever reared. 

Until then "the whole earth was of one language," but 
from that time, having been confounded in their speech, 
men began to speak different languages, and were 
scattered abroad. 



THE BABYLONIAN EMPIEE. 



History of 
govern- 
ments. 

Babylon- 
ian empire 
the first. 

Nimrod 
and his 
work ; 



Founded 
Bab> Ion 
and other 
cities in 
the lav;d of 
Shinar. 

He found- 
ed Nineveh 
and other 
cities in 
Assyria. 



Nimrod's 
occupation 



The object 
of his work. 



We have now come to the time when we can properly 
call attention to the history of human governments. 

The first government of human origin was the Baby- 
lonian Empire, which is the subject of this first lecture. 

About one hundred and fifteen years after the flood, 
Nimrod, who was son of Cush, grandson of Ham, and 
great-grandson of Noah, entered into the land of Shinar, 
on the river Euphrates, surrounded the Tower of Babel 
with walls, and settled therein his friends and associates ; 
and thus founded a city, which was named for the tower, 
and called Ba-bel-on, or Babylon. This was the first city 
ever founded, and was "the beginning of his kingdom." 

After founding the city of Babylon, he built the cities 
of Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar; and 
then he went north into the country of Assyria and 
founded a city on the eastern bank of the river Tigris, 
which he called Nineveh, in honor of his son Ninus. He 
also built the cities of Rehoboth, Caleh, and Resen, in that 
vicinity. 

Nimrod is represented as " a mighty hunter before the 
Lord. He is supposed to have engaged in this arduous 
work of hunting, having two great objects in view ; first, 
to gain the affection of the people by delivering them from 
the dread of wild beasts ; and second, to train up a large 
number of young men under his discipline, inuring them 
to hardship and the use of arms, that in after times he 
might use them for purposes more serious than that of 
hunting wild beasts." 

At his death Nimrod was deified, and worshiped as 



14 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Nimrod 
deified. 



Ninus 
succeeded 
to the 
throne. 



Other 

govern- 
ments es- 
tablished. 

Ninus en- 
larged his 
boundaries 



His effort 
to immor- 
talize his 
name. 



His success 



Descrip- 
tion of 
Nineveh. 



Nineveh 

supercedes 

Babylon. 



The em- 
pire called 
the Assyr- 
ian. Why ? 



Belus, or Baal, and he is the famous Baal so often men- 
tioned in the scriptures ; that Baal to whom the prophets 
cried, when they said, "O Baal, hear us"; but dead 
Nimrod could not hear them, while the God of heaven 
answered his prophet by fire. 

On the death of Nimrod, his son Ninus succeeded to 
the head of the government, and took his seat at Nineveh ; 
the city which his father had founded, and called after his 
name. 

At this time other governments had been established, 
and other cities founded, by the different nations which had 
come to exist upon the earth. Ninus, therefore, became 
ambitious to extend the boundaries of his kingdom by 
conquering others. To accomplish his design, he raised 
an army, large for those early times, and in the space of 
seventeen years he conquered a vast extent of country, 
from Egypt to India and Bactriana. 

He then returned to Nineveh with the idea of immortal- 
izing his name, by enlarging and beautifying that city. 
He was ambitious to make it the "largest and noblest" 
city that should ever exist. 

How far he succeeded in this enterprise may be seen 
in the description given of Nineveh after it was completed 
under his direction. It was laid out in an oblong square, 
eighteen and three-fourths miles in length, eleven and 
one-fourth miles in width ; thus making sixty miles in 
circumference. The city was surrounded by walls which 
were one hundred feet high, and sufficiently thick to 
allow three chariots to go upon them abreast, with ease ; 
and they were fortified and adorned by fifteen hundred 
towers, each of which was two hundred feet high. 

Nineveh and Babylon were the principal cities of this 
ancient empire : Babylon was founded first, and continued 
the longest, but Nineveh, for a time, superceded Babylon 
in position and glory, and stood as the capital of the 
empire, which was at first called the Assyrian Empire, 
because Nineveh was located in the country of Assyria. 
But when, finally, Babylon came to occupy its position, 



THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. 



15 



Finally 
called the 
Babylon- 
ian. 

Ninus re- 
sumes his 
expedition 
against 
Bactriana 



Semiramis 
By her di- 
rection 
Ninus took 
Nineveh. 

Her hus- 
band kills 
himself, 
and Ninus 
marries 
her. 

Ninyas 
horn. 

Ninus dies. 
Semiramis 
made 
queen at 
the age of 
20 years. 

Reigns 42 
years. 

Semiramis 
birth-place 

her charac- 
teristics ; 

leads forth 
her armies. 

Work at 
Babylon. 



Mon- 
uments. 



Monument 
to Ninus. 



Aqueducts 

Highways 
made easy. 

Claims to 
be divine. 
Queen of 
Heaven. 



as the grand capital of the empire, it was called the Baby- 
lonian Empire. 

After Ninus had finished his work at Nineveh, he again 
turned his attention toward the East, and laid siege to Bac- 
tria, the capital of Bactriana. Here he would have failed 
but for Semiramis, the wife of one of his chief officers. 
By following her direction, king Ninus was successful in 
taking the citadel, and became master of the city. 
Because of the intimacy which existed between Semiramis 
and the king, her husband took his own life. Then Ninus 
married Semiramis, and returned with her to Nineveh. 

After a time a son was born to them, whom they called 
Ninyas, and soon after the birth of that son Ninas died, 
leaving the government to his wife, Semiramis, who was 
exalted to the throne as Queen of the Empire, and she is 
the first queen we have mentioned in history. She came 
upon the throne at the age of twenty years, and reigned 
forty-two years ; nearly as long as Queen Victoria has 
reigned upon the throne of England. 

This woman was a native of Askelon, a city in Syria, 
and was possessed of wonderful ability. 

She was ambitious, energetic, and enterprising. 

She led forth her armies in person, and her presence 
was sufficient at any time to quell a sedition. 

She employed a large number of men and enlarged and 
beautified the city of Babylon. When she had completed 
her improvements in that' city she made a tour through 
her empire, leaving behind her monuments of her mag- 
nificence, erected either for the convenience or ornament- 
ation of her cities. One of the most wonderful of all her 
monuments was the one she erected at Nineveh, in honor 
of her husband, king 'Ninus. It was found standing long 
after the destruction of that city. 

She caused water to be brought by aqueducts into 
places where it was needed, and made the highways easy 
by cutting through mountains and filling up valleys. 

She claimed to be divine, and adopted the title, 
"Queen of Heaven," saying that she was " an incarnation 



16 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Chaldean 
Mysteries. 



Mystical 
brother- 
hood. 

Two 

classes. 



Initiation. 
Con- 
fessional. 
"Holy 
water." 

"Mola." 



Names by 
which she 
was known 
and wor- 
shiped. 

Found in 
Scripture. 



Temple at 
Sidon. 



Three 
feasts, 



2oth 
March, 
Lady day. 



Sept. 8th. 

Her son's 
birthday. 

Dec. 25th. 



of the Divine Spirit, and the bride of the Supreme 
Father." 

The " Chaldean Mysteries" were instituted by her, for 
the purpose of controlling her subjects in religious mat- 
ters. She required all her subjects to renounce their 
nationality, and to devote themselves to her as the 
* ' Queen of Heaven ; " they thereby becoming members 
of a mystical brotherhood, or priesthood, over whom she 
placed a pontiff, or high priest. In this arrangement she 
had two classes or orders of priests ; the highest order 
were not allowed to marry, while the others were allowed 
to enter into the marriage relation. 

When the people came to be identified with this insti- 
tution, they were initiated by being placed under instruc- 
tors, to whom they were required to confess every thought; 
then they were sprinkled with "holy water" and given a 
cake called mola. These cakes are referred to in Jer. 7 : 
18, where we are told that God's professed people made 
cakes to the Queen of Heaven, and thus worshiped the 
Babylonian goddess, whose real name was Semiramis. 
She was known under different names in different 
localities. She was called Astarte, Asphrodite, Cybele, 
Isis (Ashtoreth — the name of her image) , and Ashtaroth. 
The last two names occur in Scripture, and are associated 
with Baal, thus uniting deified Nimrod and Semiramis as 
objects of worship after whom God's people ran, when 
they departed from him. This queen had a splendid 
temple erected at Sidon, where there officiated three 
hundred priests. She required her worshipers to keep 
three feasts to commemorate important events. The first 
was in honor of her birth, and was observed on the day 
corresponding with the 25th of March, and is known as 
11 Lady Day" ; the second was called "the feast of her 
ascension," and was held on a day corresponding with the 
8th of September ; and the third feast was in honor of 
her son's birth (for she claimed that he was divine). It 
was held on a day corresponding with the 25th of Decem- 
ber. 



THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. 



17 



Semiramis 
died, 62 
years old. 



Ninyas ; 

his char- 
acter ; 



His suc- 
cessors. 
Their his- 
tory lost 
sight of. 

Few names 
preserved. 

Ful. 

Jonah, and 
his mes- 
sage. 



The Nin- 
evites re- 
pented. 



The judg- 
ment 
stayed. 

Sardana- 
palus. 



His corrupt 
character. 



How he 
spent his 
time. 



Position of 
Babylon. 

Baladan, 



Semiramis died at the age of sixty-two years, and left 
the empire to her son, Ninyas, whom she had claimed was 
divine. 

Ninyas took the throne, but, instead of proving himself 
divine, he proved himself debasedly human. He was so 
very corrupt in his habits of life, and so indolent with 
reference to the interests of the government, that the 
empire became weak and degraded, while he rolled in 
luxury and participated in pleasures of the most crimin- 
ating character. 

Of his history but little is recorded, and his successors 
for thirty generations were so corrupt and effeminate 
that they are almost wholly lost sight of. A few of 
their names have been preserved, among which are 
Amraphael and Pul. This Pul is supposed to have been 
the king who repented at the preaching of Jonah, whoni 
God told to go through the city of Nineveh, and say, 
"Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown" ; and 
Jonah, after passing through the severe discipline to 
which he was subjected because of his unwillingness to 
deliver the message, obeyed, and passing through the 
streets of that great city, cried as directed, "Yet forty 
days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." The proclamation 
produced such an effect that the Ninevites repented, and 
and from "King Pul, on the throne, to the lowest 
servant," they humbled themselves in sackcloth and ashes ; 
and God, accepting their humility and repentance, stayed 
the threatened judgment. 

Pul was succeeded by his son Sardanapalus, whose 
name signifies, simply, Son of Pul. 

He was more corrupt, effeminate and cowardly, if 
possible, than his predecessors. His time was spent 
principally in his palace in the society of women, feasting 
and rioting, and indulging in the most infamous and 
criminating pleasures, until his subjects became disgusted 
with his course and resolved to. endure it no longer. 
There was a governor at this time in Babylon whose name 
was Baladan, and a ruler in Media by the name of Arbaces, 



18 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Position of 
Media. 

Arbaces 
found ac- 
cess to the 
king's 
palace. 

The con- 
spiracy of 
Arbaces 
and Bal- 
adan; 

its effect 
upon Sar- 
danapalus. 

He sought 
to secure 
himself. 

Inunda- 
tion. 



His effort 
to redeem 
his corrupt 
life. 



His death. 



Reigned 20 
years. 

Period of 
14n0 years. 

The gov- 
ernment 
divided. 



Nineveh's 
Supremacy 



Babylon 
and its 
rulers. 



Media and 
its rulers. 



who were tributary to Sardanapalus, king of Assyria. 
Arbaces found secret access to the royal palace, and 
beheld with his own eyes the degradation of Sardanapalus, 
and became so enraged at the scene that he resolved to 
destroy the life of the king. He solicited the co-operation 
of Baladan, governor of Babylon, and they, together with 
their forces, advanced upon Nineveh. Sardanapalus was 
forced to take the field and fight, but was soon over- 
powered and pursued to the gates of Nineveh, into which 
he entered, closed the gates, and thought himself secure. 
Soon, however, he learned that by an inundation of the 
river Tigris a portion of the city walls had been washed 
away, which gave the enemy access to his presence. Then 
he resolved not to die at their hands, but in a manner, as 
he claimed, to redeem the miserable life he had lived. He 
therefore caused a pile of wood to be made in his palace, 
and placed thereon his treasures and all the members of 
his household, set fire to it with his own hand, and then 
placed himself upon the pile with the rest, and all were 
consumed. Thus ended the life of that wicked king, after 
reigning twenty years in a manner as foolish as his life 
had been degraded. 

We have now passed over a period in the history of this 
empire of fourteen hundred and fifty years. 

On the death of Sardanapalus the government was 
divided for a time. There were the Medes, the Assyrians 
of Babylon, and the Assyrians of Nineveh, each having 
their own government. But soon Nineveh gained the 
supremacy over Babylon and Media, and they were again 
made tributary to its ruler. 

Of the rulers in Babylon, but little is said for several 
years following the reign of Baladan. His son, Merodac- 
Baladan, succeeded him ; and he is the one who sent 
ambassadors to congratulate Hezekiah, king of Judah, on 
his recovery, when God had added to his days fifteen years. 

In Media, no ruler is mentioned after Arbaces for quite 
a number of years, until we come to the time when that 
government was erected into a monarchy. 



THE BABYLONIAN EMPIBE. 



19 



Tiglafh- 
Pileser 
reigned 19 
years. 

Ahaz. 



Kingdom 
of Judea. 



Abraham's 
birth. 



His gen- 
ealogy. 



How long 
before the 
deluge. 



Abraham 
and Lot in 
Canaan. 



Ishmael 
born. 
Birth of 
Isaac. 
Ishmael 
cast out. 

God 

blessed 
him. 



Promise 
fulfilled. 

His twelve 
princes. 



Tiglath-Pileser succeeded Sardanapalus in Nineveh, 
and reigned nineteen years. During his reign an arrange- 
ment was made between him and Ahaz, king of Judah, 
whereby Ahaz was obliged to pay tribute to the Assyrian 
King. 

Now, in order to appreciate the events which are to 
follow, it is necessary to notice some things with reference 
to the Kingdom of Judah. 

During the time of the history we have been giving of 
the Assyrian Empire, God had a special people, of whom 
he had a special care. 

Abraham, who was born in Chaldea about nineteen 
hundred and ninety-six years before Christ, was a descend- 
ant of Arphaxad, the third son of Shem, who settled on 
the River Euphrates, and whose descendants were called 
Arphaxadenes or Chaldeans. Abraham was the eighth 
generation from Arphaxad, tracing them through the 
names of the first-born sons, as follows : Arphaxad, Salah, 
Eber, Peleg, Reu, Serug, Nahor, Terah and Abra- 
ham. 

This event of Abraham's birth occurred about three 
hundred and fifty-two years after the deluge, and about 
two hundred and thirty-seven years after the founding of 
Babylon. Seventy-five years after his birth, Abraham, 
journeying from his father's country with his nephew Lot, 
arrived in the land of Canaan, under the direction of God. 
Eleven years after that event, the son of Hagar, the bond- 
woman, Ishmael, was born ; and fourteen years after his 
birth, Isaac, the child of promise, was born. 

Ishmael was cast out ; but God said of him as he went 
forth, "Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him 
fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly ; twelve princes 
shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation ;" — 
and according to the promise of Gocl, Ishmael begat the 
twelve princes ; whose names were, — Nebajoth, Keclar, 
Adbeel, Mibsam, Mishma, Dumah, Massa, Hadar, Tema, 
Jeture, Naphish, and Kedemah ; who settled between 
Egypt and Assyria, and from them descended the great 



20 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Arab na- 
tion. 
Arabia. 

God's 
promise 
concerniug 
Isaac, 

and his de- 
cision con- 
cerning the 
heir. 



Twelve 
princes de- 
scended 
from Isaac. 
Heads of 
the twelve 
tribes. 

Jacob and 
his sons in 
Egypt. 

Delivered 
by Moses. 

Their 
route. 



They enter 
Canaan. 



The King- 
dom of 
Judah. 

David is 
king. 

Succeeded 
by Sol- 
omon. 

Solomon 
dies. 

The king- 
dom di- 
vided. 
Judah and 
Samaria. 



Number of 
kings. 



Tiglath- 
Pileser. 



nation of the Arabs, and their country is called Arabia 
to this day. 

When Isaac was promised, God said to Abraham, "I 
will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting 
covenant, and with his seed after him ;" and after he was 
born, and the time came that Ishmael was set aside from 
being heir with the son of Sarah, God said to Abraham, 
settling the question forever which of those two sons was 
the heir, "according to the promise," — "In Isaac shall thy 
seed be called." 

Twelve princes descended from Isaac, as well as from 
Ishmael. 

They were the heads of the twelve tribes of the children 
of Israel. 

Two hundred years after Isaac was born, Jacob and his 
sons went down into Egypt, where they were in bondage 
until Moses delivered them. He led them across the 
west arm of the Eed Sea (now called the Gulf of Suez) 
to Mount Sinai, where God gave him the law by which 
His people were to be governed. After wandering forty 
years in the wilderness, they came from the east across 
the river Jordan, into the land of Canaan. 

About five hundred and thirty years after their deliver- 
ance out of Egypt, God established a kingdom among 
them in the land of Judah, with Jerusalem for its capital, 
and David, the son of Jesse, reigned upon the throne, 
being placed there as the man of God's choice. David 
was succeeded by Solomon, his son, who built the Temple 
for the worship of God. 

On the death of Solomon, Kehoboam succeeded to the 
throne in Jerusalem, and soon after the kingdom was 
divided ; for Jeroboam led off all but the tribe of Judah, 
and set up a separate kingdom in Samaria. 

This occurred about nine hundred and twenty-seven 
years before Christ. Twenty kings reigned in Judah and 
nineteen in Samaria. 

At the time of which we were speaking, when Tiglath 
Pileser, upon the throne in Nineveh, entered into the 



THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. 



21 



Ahaz 12th 
king. 

Pekah 
18tk king. 



Tiglath- 
Pileser 

reigned 19 
years. 
Shalman- 
asar. 
Kingdom 
of Israel 
destroyed. 
250 years. 
Shalman- 
asar reign- 
ed 14 years. 

Sennach- 
erib. 

His war 

against 

Judah. 



Hezekiah 
and his 
position. 



The de- 
mands of 
Sennach- 
erib. 



He is not 
satisfied ; 

his threat- 
nings. 

Jerusa- 
lem's con- 
dition. 



Their 
Protector. 



God and 
His people. 

Isaiah. 

King and 

prophet 

pray. 



arrangement with Ahaz, king of Judah, Ahaz was reigning, 
the twelfth king in Judah, and Pekah was reigning, the 
eighteenth king in Samaria. 

The tribute which Ahaz agreed to pay the Assyrian 
king caused him much trouble, and his people much 
suffering. 

Tiglath Pileser reigned nineteen years and was succeed- 
ed by his son Shalmanasar, who entered into the country 
of Samaria and destroyed the kingdom of Israel in the 
days of Hosea, the nineteenth king. 

This was about two hundred and fifty years after this 
kingdom was established by Jeroboam. 

Shalmanasar reigned fourteen years, and was succeeded 
by Sennacherib, his son. 

As soon as Sennacherib came upon the throne, he 
declared war upon the kingdom of Judah, because the 
tribute which had been levied upon it by Tiglath Pileser 
was not paid. 

Hezekiah, the thirteenth king, was reigning upon the 
throne in Jerusalem at that time. He was a good king, 
and being desirous of preserving the peace of his kingdom, 
he willingly consented to pay the tribute. But the 
Assyrian king was so exorbitant in his demands that 
Hezekiah was obliged to exhaust all the treasury of the 
temple and to drain his own coffer to pay it. 

Still the exacting Sennacherib would not be satisfied. 

Eegardless of his agreement, he continued to oppress 
Hezekiah, and threatened to besiege his city. 

Jerusalem seemed doomed to destruction, and hope to 
have fled forever. 

They seemed to be at the mercy of their enemies. 

But there was One — a powerful Protector — "whose 
jealous ears heard the impious blasphemies of Sennacherib 
and his host, and the cries of his own people. 

The God of heaven had not forgotten his chosen race. 

Isaiah the prophet lived at this time. 

The king and the prophet — Hezekiah and Isaiah — 
together "sought unto the Lord." 



22 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



God hears. 
Senna- 
cherib 
advances. 

The ap- 
pearance of 
his hosts. 



The mock- 
ing soldiers 



Planning 
the attack. 
Retiring 
for rest. 



God's de- 
claration. 



God heard their prayers and appeared in their defence. 
Sennacherib advanced with his hosts. 
Their banners were resplendent. Their shields, their 
helmets and their spears glittered in the rays of the sun. 
They halted ; they encamped near the city. 
The mocking soldiers taunted the Jews of their weak- 
ness, saying, "We will furnish you horses, if you will 
furnish men to mount them ; but you have not the 
men." 

Sennacherib held his council of war and planned his 
attack. With his army he laid down for the night, 
determined to destroy Jerusalem in the morning. 
But God had said, — 

' ' He shall not come into this city ; 
Nor shoot an arrow there ; 
Nor come before it with a shield ; 
Nor cast a bank against it." 



Assyrians 
sleep. 

Death 
angel. 
His ter- 
rible work. 

Death sleep 

Dead 

corpses. 
185,000 
slain. 

The morn- 
ing scene. 



The wail 
in Assyria. 



Lord By- 
ron and 
his poem. 



Sennacherib and his host slept. Silently the dark- 
winged angel of death spread his wings over them. 

He stooped down and breathed upon them his terrible 
breath. They slept on, — the sleep of death. In the 
morning, "they were all dead corpses." 

One hundred and eighty-five thousand were slain. 

They lay there, ghastly and rigid, when the sun arose 
to look down upon the scene. 

Their horses were dead : 

Their tents were silent : 

No trumpet was blown to call them to arms. 

No goro-eous banners were unfurled. 

No general shouted his command to prepare for the 
attack. 

A wail of anguish went up from the widows of Assyria, 
and desolation reigned, because the victors came not with 
the spoils of war. 

Lord Byron has graphically described this scene, in his 
poem entitled "Sennacherib." We will repeat it here as 
the best thing we can offer descriptive of the awful catas- 



THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. 



23 



trophe, and that we may appreciate the circumstances 
which called forth these familiar lines from the author's 



The poem. 



Sennach- 
erib alive ; 



returns to 
Nineveh. 



His wrath. 



His cruelty- 



Conspiracy 
of his sons. 



pen : — 



Sennacheeib. 



The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold, 
And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold ; 
And the sheen of his spears was like stars on the sea, 
When the blue waves roll nightly on deep Galilee. 

Like the leaves of the forest, when Summer is green, 
That host, with their banners, at sunset were seen. 
Like the leaves of the forest, when Autumn hath blown, 
That host, on the morrow, lay withered and strewn. 

For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast, 
And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed. 
And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill ; 
And their hearts but once heaved, and for ever were still. 

And there lay the steed, with his nostrils all wide, 
But through them there rolled not the breath of his pride ; 
And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf, 
And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf. 

And there lay the rider, distorted and pale, 
With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail. 
And the tents were all silent, the banners alone, 
The lances unlifted, the trumpets unblown. 

And the widows of Asshur are loud in their wail, 
And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal; 
And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword, 
Hath melted like snow at the glance of the Lord. 

But Sennacherib himself was left alive to realize his 
defeat. 

Confused, ashamed, and in disgrace he returned to 
Nineveh. 

He was defeated, but not humbled. Full of wrath and 
insane with fury, he sought to wreak his vengeance upon 
all with whom he came in contact. 

In his own family, so great was his cruelty, that his two 
sons, Adrammeleck and Sharezar, entered into a conspir- 
acy and put him (their father) to death, while he was at 
worship "in the house of Nisroch his god." 



24 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Reigns 15 
years. 

They flee 
to Armenia 

Esar-Had- 

don suc- 
ceeds. 



He reigned fifteen years. 

The conspirators fled, on account of their crime, into 
Armenia. 

Then Esar-Haddon, the youngest son of Sennacherib, 
reigned in his stead. 



Reunites 
Syria and 
Palestine. 



Enters 
Samaria, 

and carries 
away cap- 
tives. 



Idolatrous 
People. 

Sam- 
aritans. 



Manasseh 
over- 
powered. 
Released. 



Samar- 
itans trou- 
bled with 
Lions. 

Israelitish 
priest sent 
to teach 
them. 

God as 
their gods. 



Jews 

aversed to 
Samar- 
atans. 



Esar-Had- 
don reign'd 
39 years. 
Saosdu- 
chinus. 
Nebuchad- 
onosor I. 



Esar-Haddon immited Syria and Palestine to the Assyrian 
empire, they having been rent from it during the preceding 
reign of Sennacherib. 

He entered the land of Samaria, and took captive those 
who had been left by Shalmanasar, when he destroyed the 
kingdom of Israel, and carried them beyond the river into 
the east ; and to prevent the country from becoming 
desolate, he sent colonies of idolatrous people from the 
east to dwell in the cities of Samaria, and from this time 
Samaritans, when mentioned, are understood to be the 
descendants of those idolatrous nations. 

Esar-Haddon then sent a part of his army into Judea, 
overpowered Manasseh, the fourteenth king, and took him 
prisoner ; but he was afterward released and returned to 
Jerusalem. (2 Chron. 33 : 11, 12.) 

The colonies which had been sent into Samaria became 
grievously disturbed by lions, and Esar-Haddon was told 
that this was because they did not worship the God of 
that country. 

He therefore sent an Israelitish priest from among 
the captives to teach them the worship of the God of 
Israel. 

But they only placed him on the same plane with their 
false gods, and thereby corrupted the worship of the true 
God. 

This is thought to have been the reason why the Jews 
were so much opposed to the Samaritans, and why they 
"had no dealings with" them. 

Esar-Haddon reigned thirty-nine years and died. 

Saosduchinus, his son, succeeded to the throne. 

He was called Nebuchadonosor I. During his reign, 
Tobit prophesied the destruction of Nineveh. 



THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. 



25 



Median 
king de- 
feated. 
Saosdu- 
chinus 
reigned 20 
years. 
Saracus. 

Nabopo- 
lasar. 

His alli- 
ance with 
Cyaxares. 

Destruc- 
tion of 
Nineveh. 

Saracas 
reigns 24 
years. 

Criticism 
concerning 
Nineveh's 
destruction 



Weak ar- 
guments. 



Incorrect 
statements 



Proof. 



Folly. 



Theories 
and facts. 



Saosduchinus defeated Phraortes, the king of the Medes, 
and took possession of his capital city. 

He reigned twenty years, and was followed by Saracus. 

Saracus was so effeminate, and rendered himself so con- 
temptible to his subjects, that Nabopolassar, a Babylonian 
by birth and a general in the army, usurped authority over 
Babylon and reigned in it twenty-one years. 

To better maintain his power, iie formed an alliance with 
Cyaxares I., king of the Medes. 

With their joint forces they besieged Nineveh, killed 
Saracus, and destroyed that great city. 

Saracas reigned twenty-four years. 

It has been stated that Nineveh was destroyed just 
forty years after Jonah, in the days of Pul, went through 
its streets, declaring, "Yet forty clays, and Nineveh shall 
be overthrown." 

To prove this statement, it is claimed that those " forty 
days " were symbolical, and signified years, just as the 
"forty days" of Ezek. 4: 6 were appointed "each day 
for a year," and that, though the destruction did not come 
in "forty" literal "days," it did come at the end of " forty 
years." 

The statement, however, is not correct, for according 
to the facts of history, it was at least one hundred and fifty- 
one years from the time Jonah went through that city, 
delivering his message, until Nineveh was destroyed. 

We prove this as follows : — 

Pul was succeeded by Sardanapalus, who reigned 
twenty years ; then Tiglath-Pileser reigned nineteen 
years ; then Shalmanesar, fourteen years ; Sennacherib, 
fifteen years ; Esar-Haddon, thirty-nine years ; Saosdu- 
chinus, twenty years ; and then Saracas, twenty-four 
years, before Nineveh was destroyed. 

We see by this the folly of theories and statements 
which are based upon mere fancy. 

He who makes statements without the warrant of facts 
weakens his argument and subjects himself to the suspicion 
that he is ignorant and unreliable. 



26 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Babylon 
becomes 
the capital. 
Babylon- 
ian em- 
pire. 

Nabopo- 
lassar and 
Necho. 



Nebuchad- 
nezzar 

sent 

against the 
enemy. 

His 

success. 



Jehoiakim 



made trib- 
utary. 



Refused to 
pay. 

Jeremiah 
sent of 
God. 

Warns the 
king. 



Jehoiakim 
slain. 



Jehoiakin. 



After the fall of Saracas and the destruction of Nineveh, 
Babylon became the capital of the Assyrian empire, which 
soon came to be called The Babylonian Empire. 

The success of Nabopolassar against Nineveh excited 
the jealousy of the king of Egypt, Necho, who marshalled 
his forces and advanced towards the Euphrates, made 
several conquests, took the city of Carchemish, and stirred 
up rebellion in Syria and Palestine. On account of his 
great age, Nabopolassar thought it not prudent to go in 
person to subdue this rebellion. 

He therefore associated with him, in his reign, his son 
Nebuchadonosor II., more familiarly known to us as 
Nebuchadnezzar, and sent him to bring the rebellious 
countries into subjection. 

Nabopolassar only lived two years after this arrangement. 

Nebuchadnezzar defeated Necho's army near the Eu- 
phrates, retook Carchemish, and then marched into Syria 
and Palestine, bringing them under his power. He 
advanced even to Pelusium in Egypt. 

Jehoiakim, the eighteenth king, was then upon the 
throne in Jerusalem, and Nebuchadnezzar advanced upon 
him and required tribute, threatening, on his refusal, to 
make war against him. Jehoiakim, being frightened by 
this, agreed to the tribute ; but when the attention of the 
Babylonian king was occupied in another direction, he 
refused to carry out the agreement. 

Jeremiah, God's prophet, lived at that time, and was 
«ent to the king of Judah to warn him against such 
dishonesty ; but his warnings were not heeded. His pro- 
phetic declarations were "set at naught," and Jehoiakim 
persisted in his obdurate course, until Nebuchadnezzar, 
becoming enraged, marched upon the city and slew 
Jehoiakim, causing his body to be thrown outside the 
walls and refusing him burial. 

He then placed Jehoiakin, the son of Jehoiakim, upon 
the throne in Jerusalem . He carried a part of the treas- 
ures of the temple, with a large number of the principal 
citizens, ; away to Babylon ; among these were Daniel, the 



THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. 



27 



Babylon- 
ish cap- 
tivity. 



Zedekiah. 



21 years 
of age. 

Reigned 10 
years 3 mo. 
and 9 days. 

His work. 



Jeremiah 

and 

Ezekiel. 

Declar- 
ations of 
Jeremiah ; 



of 
Ezekiel. 



Zedekiah's 

stubborn 

heart. 

The mes- 
sengers 
abused. 

Nebuchad- 
nezzar's 
position. 



Besieges 
Jerusalem. 

The city 

takt n. 

Prophecy 

fulfilled. 

Jerusalem 

destroyed. 

Temple 

burned. 

Zedekiah a 

prisoner. 



prophet, and his three brethren, Azariah, Mishael and 
Hananiah. 

From this time properly dates the beginning of the 
Babylonish captivity. 

Jehoiakin reigned only three months, when Nebuchad- 
nezzar removed him and placed Zedekiah, brother of 
Jehoiakim, upon the throne of Judah. 

He was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, 
and he reigned ten years, three months and nine days. 

Like Jehoiakim, he was dishonest, and did that which 
was evil in the sight of God, refusing to act in harmony 
with his agreement with Nebuchadnezzar. 

Jeremiah and Ezekiel, prophets of God, were sent to 
prophesy against him. 

Jeremiah declared the destruction of Jerusalem, and 
that Zedekiah should be carried captive to Babylon, after 
speaking face to face with Nebuchadnezzar, and that his 
sons should be slain before his eyes. (Jer. 32 : 4.) 

Ezekiel prophecied that Zedekiah should not see the 
city of Babylon, though he should die there. 

The threatened destruction and awful calamities must 
come, unless Zedekiah would submit to the king of Babylon. 

But his stubborn heart refused to heed the words of the 
prophets. 

God's messengers were abused, and their solemn declar- 
ations were trampled under his feet. 

But Nebuchadnezzar, who had now come to exercise 
authority over all nations, was not disposed to allow one 
of his tributary kings to rebel against him. 

He therefore laid siege to Jerusalem, and on the ninth 
day of the fourth month, in the eleventh year of Zedekiah's 
reign, that city was taken, after a siege of eighteen months. 

The words of the prophets were fulfilled. 

Jerusalem was destroyed : 

The Temple was burned : 

Zedekiah was taken prisoner and carried to the land of 
Eiblah, where his eyes met those of Nebuchadnezzar, and 
there the king of Babylon and his vanquished rebel talked 



28 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Sees Nebu- 
chadnez- 
zar. 

Talks with 
him. 

Sons slain. 
His eyes 
plucked 
out. 

Carried to 
Babylon. 
Dies. 

Sad event. 



Josephus' 

interesting 

statements 

concerning 

the time of 

the sad 

event. 



10th day of 
the 7th 
month. 



Day of 

atonement. 



King of 
Tyre. 

Nebuchad- 
nezzar be- 
sieges Tyre 
Tyre built 

by 

Sidonians 
240 years 
before the 
Jewish 
Temple. 
Circum- 
stances at- 
tending its 
fou ndation 

Daughter 

and 

mother. 



face to face ; after which, the sons of Zedekiah were slain 
before him, and his own eyes were torn from their 
sockets. 

In shame and disgrace he was borne, sightless and help- 
less, into the city of Babylon, where he died without 
beholding its splendor. 

The destruction of Jerusalem, with the burning of the 
Temple of Solomon, which had stood so long, the place of 
worship, was a sad event in Jewish history. 

Josephus tells us that this occurred just four hundred 
and seventy years, six months and ten days, from the time 
the Temple was built, and one thousand and sixty-two 
years, six months and ten days from the departure of the 
children of Israel out of Egypt ; and that it was one thous- 
and nine hundred and fifty-seven years, six months and ten 
days from the deluge, and three thousand, five hundred and 
thirteen years, six months and ten days from the creation 
of Adam. 

He thus brings us to the tenth day of the seventh month, 
when the Temple was burned. For, reckoning from each 
of these important events, he tells us finally of six months 
and ten days ; so fixing the tenth day of the seventh month 
as the day on which the Temple was burned, — that great 
"Day of Atonement." 

After Nebuchadnezzar had subdued Zedekiah and de- 
stroyed Jerusalem, the king of Tyre attempted to throw 
off the yoke of his power, when he marched his forces 
into Syria and laid siege to that strongly fortified city, 
Tyre. Tyre was built by the Sidonians about two hun- 
dred and forty years before the Temple at Jerusalem. 
Sidon, their own city, having been taken by the Phil- 
istines, many of its inhabitants made their escape in ships 
and founded the city of Tyre, just south, of Sidon, on the 
eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. 

For this reason, Tyre is called the "daughter of Zidon," 
or Sidon, in Isa. 23 : 12. 

Tyre, the daughter, soon surpassed Sidon, the mother, 
in position, power and glory ; and because of her great 



THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. 



29 



Nebuchad- 
nezzar 
strength- 
ened his 
hold. 
Gives his 
time to im- 
proving his 
capital. 



Bab}don 
by the 
Euphrates. 
Its form an 
exact 
square 15 
miles on 
each side. 

The walls 
350 feet 
high, 87 
feet thick. 



150 gates. 
25 each side 



"Two 
leaved." 

The towers 



The 
streets. 



Fifty of 
them, 25 
on each 
side. 



Crossing at 
right an- 
gles. 



strength she was able to resist the efforts of Nehuchadnez- 
zar for thirteen years. But her proud head bowed at last, 
and her costly garments, treasures and ornaments were 
trampled under the feet of Nebuchadnezzar and his forces. 

Nebuchadnezzar, having thus strengthened his hold upon 
the nations, turned his attention to the city of Babylon, 
and devoted his time to making improvements in the 
capital of his empire. 

He succeeded in making Babylon the most wonderful 
city, in many respects, that has ever existed. 

When it was completed, under his direction, Babylon 
stood on the banks of the river Euphrates, a branch of 
which flowed through it from north to south. It was laid 
out in an exact square, which was fifteen miles on each 
side, and sixty miles in circumference. 

It was surrounded by walls three hundred and fifty 
feet high, and eighty-seven feet thick, which were arched 
over the river, that its waters might not be obstructed. 
There were also walls of the same dimensions on each 
bank of the river, extending from the walls on the north 
side of the city to the walls on the south side of it. 

In these walls were one hundred and fifty gates of solid 
brass, which were so distributed that there were twenty- 
five gates at equal distances on each side of the city, and 
twenty-five on each side of the river. 

These gates were called "the two-leaved gates," because 
they were folding, or double gates. 

Between each two of the gates there were three towers, 
and four other towers were placed at each of the four 
corners, and three between each corner and the nearest 
gate. 

From each of the gates opening into the city a street 
extended, running in a straight line across the city to the 
gate opposite. There were fifty such streets in all; 
twenty-five extending from east to west and passing 
through the gates of the walls on the eastern and western 
banks of the river, and twenty-five streets extending from 
north to south ; crossing each other at right angles. 



30 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Four 
streets 
next the 
walls. 

The city di- 
vided into 
676 squares 

The houses 
on the 
squares. 



Open spa- 
ces used as 
gardens 
and walks. 



Steps to 
the river. 

The great 
bridge. 



The bridge 
660 ft. long 
30 ft. wide. 

Arches. 



Beside these streets, there were four running along next 
to the walls around the city. These streets divided Baby- 
lon into six hundred and seventy-six squares. 

On each side of these squares the houses stood, fronting 
the streets. 

These houses were built to the height of three or four 
stories, and gorgeously ornamented. 

The open spaces in the centre of the squares, at the 
rear of the houses, were used as gardens and private walks. 

At first, the people in going through the city from east 
to west were obliged to descend by steps to the river, and 
cross it in boats ; but after a time a magnificent bridge was 
constructed across it, which was one of the wonders of 
ancient Babylon. 

It was six hundred and sixty feet long and thirty feet 
wide, supported by arches made of huge stones, and 
fastened with chains. 



Old and 

new 

palaces. 

The old 300 
rods square 



Temple of 
Belus. 



The new 
palace 600 
rods 
square. 



Hanging 
gardens. 



Gardens in 
terraces. 



How con- 
structed. 



Foun- 
dations. 



There were two structures in Babylon which were known 
as the old palace and the new palace. 

The old palace was located on the east side of the river, 
and measured three hundred rods on each of its four sides. 

Near it stood the temple of Belus, where dead Mmrod 
was worshiped. 

The new palace stood on the opposite side of the river, 
and measured six hundred rods on each side. It was 
surrounded by three walls, one inside another, with a wide 
space between them. 

Inside this enclosure were the hanging gardens, of 
which so much is said in history. They were among the 
seven ancient wonders of the world. 

These gardens contained a square of four hundred feet 
on every side, and were arranged in terraces one above 
another, which were supported by arches, until they were 
carried to the height of the walls of the city. 

Upon the supporting arches were first laid large flat 
stones, sixteen feet long and four feet wide ; then upon 
those a layer of reeds was placed, cemented with bitumen ; 



THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. 



31 



Occasion 
of expense 

The mould 

Trees. 

Flowers, 
etc. added 
to its 
beauty. 



Boasting. 



Nebuchad- 
nezzar's 
position. 



Interesting 
events in 
his life. 



His dream. 

Sooth- 
sayers fail. 



Are or- 
dered to be 
slain. 

Daniel's 
proposition 

to tell the 
dream. 



He lays it 
before God 



and upon that, two rows of bricks closely cemented with 
plaster ; and over the whole were laid thick sheets of lead. 

Upon this foundation was placed the mould of the 
garden. 

This work and expense was all for the purpose of pre- 
venting moisture from dripping through the terraces. 

The mould was so deep and rich that the largest trees 
and plants could take root and grow in it. These, with 
flowers in great variety, were kept growing luxuriantly, 
and filled the air with their fragrance. The gardens added 
much to the beauty and grandeur of the city, being 
designed to represent mountain scenery, and they doubtless 
helped to fill the heart of Nebuchadnezzar with pride, which 
caused him to exclaim, as he looked out on the magnifi- 
cence of his city, ' ' Is not this great Babylon that I have 
builded !" 

Men boast to-day over smaller affairs than Babylon. 

When Nebuchadnezzar came to stand at the head of this 
great empire, a wonderfully interesting event occurred in 
his history. In the second year of his reign, he had a 
dream and forgot it ; but it left its impression upon his 
mind. He had wise men, or soothsayers, in his kingdom, 
who claimed to understand dark things and unfold 
mysteries, and he demanded of them that they should tell 
him the dream and make known the interpretation. But 
they said, "You ask too much of us. Tell us the dream, 
and we will tell the interpretation before the king." But 
he said, "You must tell the dream and the interpretation 
thereof;" and when they failed to do so, he ordered that 
they should be destroyed. 

Daniel, the servant of God, who had been carried 
captive from Jerusalem, was then in Babylon among the 
wise men ; but he had heard nothing of this matter until 
he was called upon to be dragged forth to execution ; when 
he said, "Why is the king so hasty? Give us time, and 
we will tell the dream and the interpretation thereof 
before the king." Time was granted ; and Daniel, in com- 
pany with his three brethren, laid this matter before the 



32 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



His sus- 
pense re- 
lieved. 

Ref. to the 
chart. 



Daniel tells 
the dream. 



Interpre- 
tation not 
now 
noticed. 
Event of 
history. 

Image of 
gold re- 
quired to 
he 
worshiped. 

Hebrews 
refuse. 



Vision. 



Reigned 
43 years. 



God of heaven, and God made known to Daniel just what 
Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream ; and he appeared before 
the king to relieve his suspense, and he said, — "Thou, oh 
king, sawest, and behold a great image," — we have the 
image represented upon the chart, that we may have the 
description of it more fully impressed upon our minds, 
as we read what the servant of God said under these 
circumstances: "Thou, oh king," he said, "sawest, and 
behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness 
was excellent, stood before thee, and the form thereof was 
terrible. This image's head was of fine gold, his breast 
and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, his 
legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou 
sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which 
smote the image upon his feet, that were of iron and clay, 
and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, 
the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces 
together, and became like the chaff of the summer thresh- 
ing-floors ; and the wind carried them away, that no place 
was found for them ; and the stone that smote the image 
became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth. This 
is the dream," said Daniel, "and we will tell the interpre- 
tation thereof before the king." (Dan. 2 : 31-36.) 

We do not purpose to notice the interpretation at 
present, our object being to refer to the dream as an event 
of interest in the life and reign of Nebuchadnezzar. 

In the twenty-fifth year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar 
set up an image of gold on the plains of Dura, in the 
province of Babylon, and required his subjects to worship 
it ; and, because Azariah, Mishael and Hananiah, of the 
Hebrew captives, refused to prostrate themselves before 
it, he caused them to be "cast into the fiery furnace ;" but 
they were miraculously delivered from the devouring 
flames. 

In the thirty-third year of his reign, he had a vision 
which troubled him, and Daniel interpreted it, as he had 
the dream before. (See Dan. 4 : 4-18.) 

Nebuchadnezzar reigned forty-three years. 



THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. 



33 



Greatest of 
monarch s. 

At the 
head of 1st 
universal 
empire. 

His end. 



Evil- 

Merodach. 
Evil 
indeed. 



His reign 
2 years. 
Neriglissar 



He de- 
clared war 
on Media. 

Seeks aid 
from king 
of India. 



and Per- 
sians 
stronger. 



Diplomacy 
of king of 
India. 
Ambassa- 
dors sent. 
Medes 
aided. 
Darius the 
Mede, king 
of Media, 

sends to 
king of 
Persia for 
aid. 

Cyrus and 
his army. 

Cyrus com- 
mands the 
forces of 
both 
countries. 

3 yrs. pre 
paration. 



He has been called the greatest of monarchs. He was 
the first king who held universal sway. 

He stood at the head of the first universal empire of the 
world. 

Babylon was at the zenith of its glory during his reign ; 
but he went down, and from his death the empire began 
to decline. 

Evil-Merodach, his son, succeeded to the throne ; and 
he was, emphatically, .EW-Merodach. So evil and 
disgusting was his life that his subjects conspired against 
him and put him to death. 

He only reigned two years. 

Neriglissar, his sister's husband, succeeded him in the 
empire. 

As soon as Neriglissar came upon the throne in Babylon 
he declared war upon Media, and sent his ambassadors to 
the king of India to solicit his co-operation against that 
country, representing that the Medes and Persians together 
were a dangerous people ; that, as they were closely 
related and increasing in strength, unless they were over- 
powered, other nations were likely to suffer. 

The king of India sent his ambassadors into Media, and 
also to Babylon, to enquire more fully concerning this 
matter, and then decided in favor of the Medes, instead of 
the Babylonians. 

When Neriglissar declared war upon Media, Darius the 
Mede was upon the throne. Realizing the necessity of 
being prepared to meet the enemy, he sent down into 
Persia and requested Cambyses, the king, to send him 
assistance, and, in response, thirty thousand soldiers were 
sent into Media under the command of Cyrus, the Persian, 
nephew to Darius the Mede. 

"When Cyrus arrived in Media, he was given command 
of all the forces, to operate against the king of Babylon, in 
the interests of his uncle, Darius. 

Nearly three years were occupied in preparing for an 
engagement. 

Arrangements were at last completed, and "the two 



34 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES, 



Arrange- 
ments com- 
pleted. 

Battle 
fought. 
Neriglis- 
sar slain. 

Laboroso- 
archod 

reigns 

nine 
months. 
A long 
name; a 
short reign 
The man 
of names. 
Belshazzar 



Scriptural 

proofs 

promised. 

Cyrus in 
com man d 
when Bel- 
shazzar 
begins to 
reign. 

He seeks 
to repel the 
injury of 
Neriglissar 



Belshazzar 
appoints 
Croesus of 
general- 
isimo. 



Belshazzar 
returns to 
Babylon. 



Cyrus 

carries out 
his purpose 
to repel 
injury. 



armies were drawn up, face to face, to engage in the 
conflict. 

The battle was fought, and Neriglissar was slain, in the 
fourth year of his reign. 

His son, Laborosoarchod, succeeded in the government 
of Babylon ; but he was so corrupt that his subjects would 
not tolerate him, and he was put to death when he had 
reigned only nine momths. 

He had a very long name, but a very short reign. 

On the death of Laborosoarchod, a man succeeded to 
the throne bearing different names : he was called 
JSTabonadius, Labynit or Labynetus, and Belshazzar. 

Some have thought that these three names represented 
three kings ; but according to what we consider to be the 
most reliable authority, they all apply to the one man 
who is usually called by the last name, Belshazzar. 

We shall soon notice some scriptural evidences which 
corroborate these statements. 

When Belshazzar came upon the throne in Babylon, 
Cyrus was still in command of the forces of the Medes and 
Persians, and determined to repel the injury that had been 
brought upon them by Neriglissar. 

The ±>abylonian empire had now become weakened : 
many provinces and nations had thrown off its yoke. In 
Asia Minor the provinces were principally under the 
influence of Croesus, king of Lydia, whose capital was 
Sardis. 

Belshazzar went in person to Sardis, and appointed 
Croesus generalisimo over the forces of Asia Minor, Syria 
and Egypt, to lead them in his interests against the Medes 
and Persians. 

Croesus, elated with his appointment, prepared to take 
the command. Meanwhile, Belshazzar returned to Baby- 
lon, feeling that he had done all that was necessary to 
provide for the security of his empire, and settled down 
for the enjoyment of pleasure. 

Cyrus, in his determination not to be overcome, had 
prepared his arms, and did not wait for Croesus to advance 



THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. 



35 



Marches 
upon the 
enemy, 



Overpow- 
ers Croesus 
His 
success. 



Surrounds 
Babylon. 

Digging a 
trench. 

Ridiculed 
by the 
Babylon- 

ians. 



Their 
statements 
and 
questions. 



Cyrus pur- 
sues his 
work. 



Belshaz- 
zar's feast. 



Exciting 
prepara- 
tions. 



Guests 
arrive. 



Tables 
spread. 

Wine is 
there. 



upon him, but immediately marched his forces into the 
land of the enemy. Speedily crossing the rivers Tigris 
and Euphrates, he continued his march until he arrived in 
Lydia ; where he overpowered Crcesus, and brought the 
provinces of Asia Minor under his power. Being thus 
successful, the Syrians and Egyptians readily submitted 
to Cyrus, and he was prepared to advance upon the city 
of Babylon. In the seventeenth year of Belskazzar's reign, 
he surrounded that great city with his forces, and com- 
menced di£o;ino- a trench around it. 

While engaged in this enterprise, the Babylonians 
ridiculed his work and defied his power. 

Looking down upon him from the top of those massive 
walls, towering in their strength three hundred and fifty 
feet above him, they said, — "What do you think to 
accomplish ? Do you expect to reduce us by siege ?" 

"This city is strongly fortified, and we have provisions 
inside to last us twenty years ; go on with your work, we 
have no fears." 

Cyrus patiently applied himself to his business, making 
known his plans to no one, until the trench was completed, 
He then divided his army, and stationed half at the north 
of the city, by the river, and half at tfie south, and waited 
for a favorable opportunity in which to accomplish his 
design. 

That favorable opportunity presented itself in a little 
while. 

Belshazzar, dreaming of safety, and thirsting for pleas- 
ure, " made a great feast to a thousand of his lords." 

Great excitement prevailed in the city as the feast was 
preparing. Business was neglected, and officers were off 
their guard. 

At the time appointed the guests arrived. The royal 
palace was brilliantly lighted ; there was music and danc- 
ing, hilarity and mirth. 

The table, spread with all the dainty luxuries that wealth 
could afford, served to gratify their vitiated tastes, and 
wine was drank to excess, until the half drunken king 



36 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



and drunk- 
enness. 
Orders the 
vessels of 
gold and 
silver. 

Conse- 
crated, 
vessels. 

Polluted 
lips. 

God 
affected. 



Their 
enjoyment 

Fingers of 
a hand. 



The great 
excitement 



Astrol- 
ogers 
called. 

Rewards 
offered. 



Failure. 



Trouble 
increases. 



Daniel. 
Nitocris. 



Daniel, 
called. 



He enters. 



gave orders to bring in the vessels of gold and silver 
which had been taken from the Temple in Jerusalem by 
Nebuchadnezzar ; and those sacred vessels which had once 
been consecrated to the service of God in his holy Temple, 
were filled with wine, and pressed to the polluted lips of 
Belshazzar and his drunken guests ; and he and his princes, 
his wives and his concubines, drank therefrom. 

God was insulted : His indignation was stirred ; and He 
manifested His displeasure in a manner which caused Bel- 
shazzar to tremble and quail before him. 

For, in the midst of their revelry, when all hearts were 
light and gay, and they were absorbed in their wanton 
pleasures, there came forth "fingers of a man's hand . . . 
and wrote upon the plaister of the wall," in that brilliantly 
lighted palace of the king. 

All eyes were turned upon that scene. The music 
ceased ; consternation prevailed ; Belshazzar's countenance 
changed ; his mind was agitated ; his whole being was 
moved with fear. Trembling in weakness, while "his 
knees smote together," he called for the astrologers, the 
Chaldeans, and the soothsayers, to be brought in. They 
came; and he said to them, "Whosoever shall read this 
writing, and show me the interpretation thereof, shall be 
clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his 
neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom." But, 
notwithstanding the inducements offered, they failed to 
decipher the characters upon the wall ; and the king's 
trouble was increased, for his destiny seemed secreted in 
those mystic lines. 

Daniel the prophet still lived in Babylon, and the 
queen, Nitocris, comprehending the situation of her son, 
Belshazzar, and remembering how Daniel had relieved the 
mind of her father, Nebuchadnezzar, on a similar occasion, 
said to the king : "Now, let Daniel be called, and he will 
show the interpretation." 

Belshazzar consented ; and Daniel, filled with the spirit 
and power of God, was ushered into the midst of that 
excited throng. 



THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. 



37 



Rewards 
rejected. 



His ap- 
pearance. 
His 

statements 



He looks 
upon the 
wall. 

Reads the 
writing. 



Tells the 
inter- 
pretation. 

Numbered 

Weighed. 



Divided. 



Scene 

occuring in 
the palace. 

Cyrus im- 
proving 
the time. 

Trenches 
opened. 

River 
turned. 



The 

military- 
road. 

Gates left 
open. 



Cyrus 
enters the 
city. 



Belshazzar 
slain. 



The king offered him the same inducements to read 
that writing which he had offered to the others before 
him. 

But Daniel, with unassumed dignity, replied, " Let thy 
gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another ; yet 
I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to 
him the interpretation." 

As the eyes of the prophet then rested upon those 
mysterious characters, he read : — 

"Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin." 

But what does it mean ? 

" This is the interpretation of the thing," he said ; — 

" God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. 

" Thou art weighed in the balances and art found 
wanting. 

" Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and 
Persians." 

While this scene was transpiring in the royal palace, 
Cyrus was improving the time in executing his plans. He 
ordered the trenches to be opened, and the great river 
Euphrates was changed in its course. Its willing waters 
separated, to rush in opposite channels around that great 
city, to unite below, instead of flowing together onward in 
its accustomed way ; and the Persian general marched his 
army over a strange military road, the bed of that river, 
under those massive walls, into the city. 

The ' ' gates of brass " which closed the streets that led 
to the river, and which were always required to be locked 
at night, had been carelessly left open on account of the 
excitement concerning the feast of Belshazzar. 

Important matters are usually neglected when such 
scenes of festivity and pleasure are being prepared ; 
Cyrus, therefore, entered the city, and marched to the 
palace of the king ; and the Scriptures graphically state 
the stirring fact that — 

"In that night was Belshazzar, the king of the Chal- 
deans, slain, and Darius the Median took the kingdom." 



38 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Babylon- 
ian empire 
goes down. 

Medo-Per- 
sian es- 
tablished. 

Belshazzar 
reigned 17 
years. 

Other 
events. 

Daniel's 
vision. 

Described. 



4 Beasts. 



1st, a lion. 



2nd, a bear 



3rd, a leop- 
ard. 



4th, a 
dreadful 
and ter- 
rible beast. 



The horns. 



Represent- 
ed on chart 



Darius is mentioned, because it was in his interests that 
Cyrus led forth the army and accomplished this work. 

The Babylonian empire went down, and the Medo 
Persian Empire was established upon its ruins, — the 

SECOND GREAT EMPIRE OF THE WORLD ; the history of 

which will be given in our next lecture. 

Belshazzar, being the last king of Babylon, had reigned 
seventeen years, during which several interesting events 
occurred, which it will be well to mention here. 

In the first year of his reign, Daniel the prophet had a 
vision, which he describes as follows : — 

"I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four 
winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea. 

"And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse 
one from another. 

"The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings. I 
beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was 
lifted up from the earth, and made stand upon the feet as 
a man, and a man's heart was given to it. 

"And behold another beast, a second, like to a bear; 
and it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in 
the mouth of it between the teeth of it ; and they said thus 
unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. 

"After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, 
which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl ; the 
beast had also four heads ; and dominion was given to it. 

" After this I saw in the night visions, arid behold a 
fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly ; 
and it had great iron teeth ; it devoured and brake in 
pieces, and stamped the residue thereof with the feet of it ; 
and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it ; 
and it had ten horns. 

"I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up 
among them another little horn, before whom there were 
three of the first horns plucked up by the roots ; and, 
behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and 
a mouth speaking great things." (Dan. 7 : 2-8.) 

These beasts are represented upon the chart, for the 



THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. 



39 



Daniel's 
2nd vision. 



Represent- 
ed on chart 

Dan. 8:1-- 
12. 



Shushan, 
Elam and 
Ulai. 



Aram. 



Ram 

pushing. 



A goat. 



Notable 
horn. 



Came- to 
the ram. 



Horns 
broken. 



Horn 
broken. 
4 others. 

Little horn 



purpose of impressing the mind more fully with what he 
saw. 

In the third year of Belshazzar's reign, Daniel had 
another vision, which is also represented upon the chart, 
and described in the eighth chapter of the book of Daniel, 
as follows : — 

"In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar, a 
vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that 
which appeared unto me at the first. 

"And I saw in a vision ; and it came to pass, when I 
saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the 
province of Elam ; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the 
river of Ulai. 

" Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, 
there stood before the river a ram which had two horns ; 
and the two horns were high ; but one was higher than the 
other, and the higher came up last. 

*' I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and 
southward; so that no beast might stand before him, 
neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand ; 
but he did according to his will, and became great. 

"And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came 
from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched 
not the ground ; and the goat had a notable horn between 
his eyes. 

" And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I 
had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in 
the fury of his power. 

"And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was 
moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and 
brake his two horns ; and there was no power in the ram 
to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, 
and stamped upon him : and there was none that could 
deliver the ram out of his hand. 

Therefore the he goat waxed very great ; and when he 
was strong, the great horn was broken ; and for it came up 
four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven. 

" And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which 



40 



THE WORLD'S GEE AT EMPIRES. 



Its -work. 



History 
from its 
rise to its 
fall. 



Prophetic 
declar- 
ations. 

Described 

through 

prophets. 

By the 

historian. 



None 
doubt the 
history. 



Some 
doubt 
God's 
word. 



Preaching. 



Cunning 
and craft 
charged 
upon some. 



waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the 
east, and toward the pleasant land. 

"And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven ; and 
it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the 
ground, and stamped upon them. 

"Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the 
host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and 
the place of his sanctuary was cast down. 

' ' And a host was given him against the daily sacrifice 
by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the 
ground ; and it practised and prospered." (Dan. 8 : 1-12.) 

Having traced the history of this first great empire from 
its foundation, through its rise, until it gained its position 
as a universal empire, then through the days of its glory, 
and finally through its decline and fall, until it was super- 
seded by another holding universal sway, we wish to call 
attention to some prophetic declarations and represent- 
ations concerning it, for God, through his prophets, 
described the most striking events of this great empire 
before it occurred. 

We have presented these events, as described by the 
historian, after they transpired, in order that it may be 
understood what has been, and no one will doubt the facts 
of history, as they stand recorded by the most reliable 
historians. 

But yet, some are disposed to doubt the Word of God, 
and to say that it is not reliable. We purpose, therefore, 
to place the prophetic declarations of that Word alongside 
the historical data, and see whether they agree. 

There has been much preaching" on the subject of 
prophecy and its relation to history, and those who have 
engaged in this work have sometimes been accused of pre- 
senting the prophecy, and then, cunningly and craftily, 
selecting certain events of history which seem to bear 
some likeness, to the prophetic description in order to fit 
it ; and it is thus intimated that the events of history have 
been wrenched from their proper place and made to prove 
or support a theory. 



THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. 



41 



Our course 
on account 
of it. 

Examin- 
ation of the 
Piophecies 



"We have, therefore, chosen to give the history first, and 
then, simply to read the prophetic statements, allowing 
them to apply where they may. And so we proceed to 
examine these prophecies. 

In the early days of Nebuchadnezzar, before this empire 
became universal in power, God said, through his prophet 
Jeremiah, that all nations should be given into the hands 
of that king of Babylon, as follows : — 

" In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim, the son of 
Josiah, king of Judah, came this word unto Jeremiah, from 
the Lord, saying, 

"Thus saith the Lord to me; Make thee bonds and 
yokes, and put them upon thy neck, 

"And send them to the king of Edom, and to the king 
of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the 
king of Zidon, by the hand of the messengers which come 
to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah, king of Judah; 

"And command them to say unto their masters, Thus 
saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel ; Thus shall ye 
say unto your masters : 

"I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are 
upon the ground, by my great power and by my out- 
stretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed 
meet unto me. 

' ' And now have I given all these lands into the hand of 
Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant ; and the 
beasts of the field have I given him also, to serve him. 

" And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his 
son's son, until the very time of his land come ; and then 
many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of 
him. 

"And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom 
which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king 
of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the 
yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, 
saith the Lord, with the sword, and with the famine, and 
with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his 
hand." (Jer. 27 : 1-8.) 



42 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Time of its 
utterance. 



Nebuchad- 
nezzar's 
success. 



Nebuchad- 
nezzar 
universal 
ruler. 

Recog- 
nized by 
Daniel. 



The dream 
and his 
position. 



Daniel's 
address. 



Question. 



Babylon 
the head 
of gold. 

Saw more 
than a 
.head. 



This prophecy was uttered when Nebuchadnezzar was 
first associated with his father, Nabopolassar, in his reign, 
and before any of the nations and cities mentioned had 
been fully brought under his dominion. 

In tracing the history of Nebuchadnezzar and his work, 
we have seen that he carried forward his conquests until 
he conquered these nations, and that when any of them 
refused to serve him they were punished, and their cities 
were destroyed. 

This was specially true of Jerusalem and of Tyre. 

Nebuchadnezzar finally became king over all nations ; a 
universal ruler. 

Even his conquered subjects recognized him in that 
position, as is evident from the address of Daniel when he 
came in to tell the dream and make known its interpre- 
tation. But why should Daniel describe his position so 
particularly, as he came to interpret that dream? Because 
that image which he had seen in his dream sustained an 
important relation to him in his position at the head of 
that great government. 

Daniel said, after he had told the dream : — 

"This is the dream ; and we will tell the interpretation 
thereof before the king. 

"Thou, O king, art a king of kings; for the God of 
hQaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, 
and glory. 

"And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts 
of the field and the fowls of the heaven, hath he given into 
thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all." 

But it may be asked, What has this to do with that 
image of his dream? We answer, " Very much indeed." 
"Thou," — in this position, at the head of this great 
empire — ruler .over all — "Thou art this head or 

GOLD." 

But Nebuchadnezzar saw more than a head of gold. A 
great image, in human form, stood before him, divided into 
four parts j. and each of those parts .composed of a different 
metal. 



THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. 



43 



Head. 

Breast and 
arms. 

Belly and 

sides. 

Less. 



1st empire. 



2nd 
Kingdom. 

3rd 
Kingdom. 

4th 

Kingdom. 
4 King- 
doms in 
symbol. 

Govern- 
ments now 
repre- 
sented by 
symbols. 



God chose 
to so rep- 
resent. 

Metallic 
image. 



Remark- 
able. 



Wisdom 
and power. 
Kins elated 



Image of 
gold. 



' ' His head was of fine gold. 

His breast and his arms were of silver. 

His belly and thighs of brass, and his legs were of 
iron." 

Now, to what do all these different parts apply ? 

Daniel said to Nebuchadnezzar, as he stood at the head 
of the Babylonian Empire in its glory , — the first uni- 
versal empire or the world, — " Thou art this head of 
gold ; and after thee shall come another kingdom, inferior 
to thee," (the breast and arms of silver). "And another, 
third, kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the 
erth." "And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron." 

Four kingdoms are here represented in a symbolic 
manner. 

It is customary, even at the present time, to represent 
governments by symbols or emblems ; so we have the 
"British Lion," the " Russian Bear," and the " American 
Eagle ;" and we understand that the government of Great 
Britain is symbolized by a lion ; that the Russian Empire 
is symbolized by a bear ; and that the American govern- 
ment is symbolized by an eagle. 

Now God has chosen to represent the great governments 
or empires of the world in this emblematic manner, by 
introducing this metallic image. Four kingdoms, or 
empires, holding universal sway, were to exist in the 
history of the world, as signified in this image. The first 
of these was the Babylonian empire, with Nebuchadnezzar 
at its head, and it is symbolized properly by the " head of 
gold." 

How remarkable it was that Nebuchadnezzar should see 
that wonderful image, just at the time when he, in his 
empire, could be represented by the " head of gold !" It 
was the manifestation of the wisdom and power of God. 

The king of Babylon was elated with his gold-headed 
symbol ; and he attempted to show that his kingdom, 
because thus represented, should stand forever. So he 
set up that image of gold on the plains of Dura, and 
required his subjects to worship it. 



44 

Entire. 



God's 

statement 

prevails. 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 

It was not an image with its head only of gold, but one 
that was all gold — solid from his head to his feet, giving 
no place to silver, brass, or iron ; and so he endeavored to 
prove that his was the only empire that should ever exist. 

But Gocl had said there should come another after him, 
— represented by the "breast and arms of silver," — and 
God's statement prevailed. The Babylonian empire went 
down, and another took its place. 



Other, 
symbols. 



Image and 
beasts cor- 
respond. 



Lion and 
head. 



Excava- 
tions in 
Nineveh. 



Force of 
the symbol 

Literal 
statements 
of 
prophecy. 

Success 
foretold, 



and the fall 



We now call attention to another line of symbols. 

When Daniel had his vision in which he saw those four 
peculiar beasts which we have already described, as record- 
ed in the seventh chapter of the book of Daniel, he 
"asked the truth of all this," (Dan. 7 : 16,) and was told 
that these great beasts "which were four, were four kings, 
or kingdoms, that should arise." (Dan. 7 : 17.) 

We understand that by these four beasts are symbolized 
the same four kingdoms or empires which are represented 
in the metallic image, and that the peculiar characteristics 
of these beasts are significant, representing features of the 
governments which are not seen in the image. 

The lion with eagle's wings corresponds with the head of 
gold, and represents the Babylonian empire. 

Eecent excavations of the ruins of Nineveh have revealed 
the fact that the lion with eagle's wings was the symbol of 
the Assyrian government. 

There is a stone slab in the British Museum which was 
taken from those ruins, on which this symbol is represent- 
ed, and hence the appropriateness of this symbol, as seen 
by Daniel in his vision. 

We now leave the symbolic representations, and call 
attention, further, to the literal statements of prophecy 
concerning this great empire. 

Having noticed the fact that God foretold the success of 
Nebuchadnezzar in bringing all nations under his power, 
and establishing universal dominion, we go back to notice 
further that God, through the same prophet and at the 
same time, declared the downfall of this empire, and 



THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. 



45 



Duration 
and end. 



Prophecy. 



Son's son. 



Grand-son. 



Nebuchad- 
nezzar. 

Evil- 
Merodach 
a son- 

Neriglissar 



Son-in-law 



Laborosar- 
chod a 
grand-son. 

Question. 



Has proph- 
ecy failed. 



Thesubject 
re-exam- 
ined. 



General 

term, 

grand-son. 



designated the ruler under whose reign it should go 
down. i 

In the following language, the duration and end of his 
empire is depicted : — 

"All nations shall serve him, and his son and his son's 
son, until the very time of his land come ; and then many- 
nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him." 
(Jer. 21: 7.) 

According to this language, that empire must go down 
in the days of the son of Nebuchadnezzar's son, or, more 
generally speaking, we would say, in the days of his 
grand-son. 

In tracing the history of this great empire, we saw that 
Nebuchadnezzar was succeeded by his son, Evil-Mero- 
dach ; and a son of Nebuchadnezzar was upon the throne. 
Evil-Merodach reigned two years, when he was slain, 
and his sister's husband, Neriglissar, was exalted to the 
throne. Now, shall the kingdom end with his reign? 
No ; for he is the son-in-law of Nebuchadnezzar, and not 
his grandson. 

Neriglissar was slain in the fourth year of his reign, 
and his son Laborosoarchod succeeded to the throne, 
— a grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. 

Shall we now look for the government to cease and the 
empire to fall, when he ceases to reign ? If so, we look in 
vain ; for at the end of nine months he is put to death, and 
another is exalted to the head of that government ; and its 
history still continues. 

Has the prophecy failed ? Must we lose confidence in 
God, and retire from the field, leaving the infidel to 
rejoice in victory ? 

Before we admit that prophecy has failed, however, or 
lose confidence in God, or consent to retire from the field, 
we purpose to examine this subject more thoroughly. To 
be sure, the language of the prophecy is very plain, and 
can be appjied to none but a grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. 
But we notice that the general term, grandson, is not used. 
Why is this ? Because God is more specific, and tells us 



46 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Specific 
term, — 
"son's 
son," not 
daughter's 
son. 



Belshazzar 
the son's , 
son. 



The em- 
pire goes 
down. 

Prophecies 
fulfilled. 

Nations 

serve 

themselves 

God 

designates 
them. 

Medes and 
Persians. 



whose son this grand-son should be. There are two sides 
on which grandsons are found. A grandson may be 
either a son's son or a daughter's son. 

Now, God has so carefully guarded this language that 
there is no mistaking it. He says plainly, his son's son. 
Laborosoarchod was his daughter's son, and so could not 
have been the one meant in the prophecy ; therefore, the 
empire did not go down with his reign, but it did go down 
with the reign of his successor, Belshazzar. But can we 
find in this the fulfillment of the prophecy ? Let us examine 
and see. Who was Belshazzar? He was the son of Evil- 
Merodach, and Evil-Merodach was the son of Nebuchad- 
nezzar; therefore, Belshazzar was the son of Nebuchad- 
nezzar's son, and the one designated in the prophecy ; and 
as he went down, and the empire with him, God's word 
was fulfilled. Then, "many nations served themselves of 
7um" who had " served himself of them." God not only 
said that "many nations should serve themselves of him," 
but he specified the principal nations who should do this, 
even when Babylon was in its glory; for he said, "Go 
up, O Elam (or Persia) ; besiege, O Media," (Isa. 21 : 2) ; 
and again, " I will stir up the Medes against them :" and 
when the Babylonian empire was overthrown, it was the 
Medes and Persians who triumphed over it, and established 
their supremacy in a single night ; and, — 

" As the sun looked out from the skies next morn, 
A dark cloud hung over that city, forlorn ; 
And from Babylon's walls the banners, wide, 
Waved victory's hues, o'er her fallen pride." 

And so her glory ended. 



Other 
prophecies 



and their 
fulfillment 



Cyrus and 



There is, also, a prophecy which is of special interest, 
and which designates the man who was the leader in this 
conquest. 

That prophecy called him by name and described his 
work, more than one hundred years before he was born, in 
the following graphic language : 

" Thus saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose 



THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. 47 

his work right hand I have holden to subdue nations ; and I will 
loose the loins of kings, to open before him the twoleaved 
gates ; and the gates shall not be shut ; 

" I will go before thee, and make the crooked places 
straight : I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut 
in sunder the bars of iron : 

"And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and 
hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that 
I, the Lord, which call thee by thy name, am the God of 
Israel. 

"For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I 
have even called thee by thy name ; I have surnamed thee, 
though thou hast not known me. 

" I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God 
besides me : I girded thee, though thou hast not known 
me; 

" That they may know from the rising of the sun, and 
from the west, that there is none besides me. I am the 
Lord, and there is none else." (Isa. 45 : 1-6.) 

The name Cyrus was thus mentioned more than a hun- 
dred years before the one came who was to bear it, and 
even before the supremacy of the Babylonian empire ; and 
when the nations were prepared to feast upon that empire, 
behold, they are led forth by Cyrus the Persian! God 
had said of him, — " whose right hand I have holden to 
subdue nations : " supported by unseen power he con- 
quered the nations. God said, — " I will loose the loins of 
kings, to open before him the two-leaved gates ; and the 
gates shall not be shut ;" and, " I will break in pieces the 
gates of brass ; " the careless princes opened the brazen 
" two-leaved gates " in the morning, but forgot to shut 
. them at night. Again the prophecy declares, — " I will 
give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of 
secret places," — "I have 'even called thee by name: I 
have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me : " 
and Cyrus, the one surnamed of God, found access to the 
secret treasures of Babylon ; thus remarkably fulfilling all 
the prophecy concerning him. 



48 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



The 
prophecy. 

The fact. 



The city of Babylon was finally destroyed. After 
standing as the principal capital of the Medo-Persian and 
Grecian empires, Darius, son of Hystaspes, the third ruler 
from Cyrus, broke down its walls, and they gradually 
decayed and crumbled into ruins. 

There are other prophecies, also, which relate to its 
utter destruction, and which we now proceed to notice ; 
and, that we may appreciate their fulfillment, we cite 
also the statements of historians and travellers who have 
described the scene of these ruins. We quote the 
prophecy first, and then the citations from the secular 
writers, as follows : — 

"Babylon shall become heaps." (Jer. 51 : 31.) 

"Babylon has become a vast succession of mounds." — - 
"It is a great mass of ruined heaps." — "There are uneven 
heaps of various sizes." — Keppel, Pouter, Mignan, &c. 



The 
prophecy. 

The fact. 



" Destroy her utterly." (Jer. 50 : 26.) 

' ' The regular lines of the original ruins have been so 
broken that nothing but confusion is seen to exist." — 
Sir R. R. Proctor, Travels, vol. 2, p. 338. 



The 
prophecy. 

The fact. 



" The broad walls of Babylon shall be broken down." 
(Jer. 50: 58.) 

" Where are the walls of Babylon?" — Volney, Ruins, 
chap. 2. " We totally failed to discover any trace of the 
city's walls." — Keppel, Narratives, vol. 1, pp. 175. Also, 
see Bombey's literal translation of Capt. Frederick's 
Ruins of Babylon, vol. 1, pp. 130-31 ; and Rich, 
pp. 43, 44. 



The 
prophecy. 

The fact. 



"A drought is upon her waters, and they shall be dried 
up." (Jer" 50: 38.) 

"The canals at present can only be traced by their 
decayed banks." — Bombey, literal translation, p. 138. 



The 
prophecy. 



" Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness." (Isa. 
47: 5.) 



THE BABYLONIAN EMPIRE. 



49 



The fact. 



The 

prophecy. 
The fact. 



Prophecy. 



The fact. 



Prophecy. 



The fact. 



Reflections 



"A silent and sublime solitude, a silence as profound as 
the grave." — Porter, Travels, vol. 2, pp. 294, 407. 

" It shall never be inhabited." (Jer. 12 : 20 ; 50 : 40.) 
"Ruins like those of Babylon, of heaps of rubbish, im- 
pregnated with nitre, cannot be cultivated ;" hence, not 
inhabitable. — Rich, Memoirs, p. 16. 

" Nor dwelt in from generation to generation." (Isa. 
13: 20. 

It was said, in the sixteenth century, that there was 
*' not a house to be seen " where Babylon had stood. See 
Ray's Collection of Travels (Rawolf), p. 174. 

In the nineteenth century, it is said, that "it is still deso- 
late and tenantless." — Mignan, p. 234. 

" Neither shall the Arabs pitch their tents there ; neither 
shall the shepherds make their folds there." (Isa. 13 : 20.) 

Captain Mignan says, — " I could not persuade my 
guides — Arabs — to remain after dark, from apprehension 
of evil spirits." 

Says Rich, p. 27, — "All the people of the country 
assert that it is extremely dangerous to approach this 
mound after night-fall, on account of the multitude of evil 
spirits by which it is haunted." 

Another writer says, that "by their superstitious belief 
they" — the Arabs and shepherds — ' ' are prevented from 
pitching a tent by night, or making a fold there." 

Thus the great prophetic declarations of God's Word 
concerning this empire have been fulfilled, and the once 
proud city of Babylon lies silent in the dust. 

"We now close this lecture, deeply impressed with the 
fact that there is a " God in heaven who revealeth secrets," 
who " speaks, and it is done," who commands, and the 
nations unconsciously obey. 




Heliotype. Printing Co Boston 



LECTURE H. 



THE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE. 



Introduc- 
tion. 



What the 
name im- 
plies. 

Medes and 
Persians. 



Their 
history to 
be traced 
separately. 

Then dur- 
ing their 
supremacy 
and decline 



Medes first 

Their ori- 
gin and 
position. 



1st ruler 
Arbaces. 



A suppo- 
sition. 



We noticed in our previous lecture that the Babylonian 
empire was superseded by the Medo-Persian empire ; 
the history of which forms the subject of this lecture. 

The name of this empire — Medo-Persian — shows that 
Medes and Persians were united to constitute it ; and their 
history prior to the establishment of their empire should 
be understood, in order to appreciate the relation they 
sustained to each other, and the position they occupied 
when they came to stand together in this second univer- 
sal empire of the world. We shall therefore go back 
of the supremacy of the empire to the earliest times of the 
Medes and Persians, and trace their history separately, 
until they became united in one government. Then we 
shall follow its history during its supremacy and decline, 
until it was subjugated by the conquests of Alexander the 
Great, and the Grecian empire was established in its stead. 

The Medes are mentioned in history before the Per- 
sians. They were descendants of Medai, the third son 
of Japheth, and grandson of Noah. As we noticed in 
our first lecture, Medai settled south of the Caspian Sea ; 
and that country was called Media from his name, and his 
descendants were called Medes. 

The first ruler mentioned among them was Arbaces, to 
whom we referred in the preceding lecture as the one who 
entered into the conspiracy with Baladan, the governor of 
Babylon, to destroy Sardanapalus, king of Assyria, and 
caused him to destroy himself. Some have supposed that 



52 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Anarchy. 

Tribes. 
Villages. 



Their 
condition. 



Dejoces. 

His char- 
acter and 
influence. 



Unjust 
accusation. 



Position 
deserved. 



Made 
judge. 

His 

success. 



Is not 
situated to 
do all he 
desired. 



Monarch- 
ial form of 
govern- 
ment.. 

Comment. 



the Medes from that time maintained a separate govern- 
ment, but, according to reliable authority, they were soon 
reduced to anarchy, and had no special ruler or laws to 
control them. 

They existed in tribes, and dwelt in small, rude villages, 
which were composed of a few huts thrown together in a 
careless manner. 

" Every man did that which was right in his own eyes," 
and confusion prevailed. 

During this state of affairs, Dejoces, a Median by birth, 
became conspicuous among them. He was superior to his 
countrymen generally, being possessed of many excellent 
qualities. He exerted a salutary influence among the 
people, and endeavored to elevate them and to bring about 
a reform. Some have accused him of vain ambition, and 
of self-agrandizement, because his excellencies of character 
were so prominent ; but we think this charge is unkind 
and unjust. Superiority of character gives claim to 
superiority of position, and as Dejoces had superiority of 
character, he deserved superior position, which he obtained 
upon his own merits. 

His influence increased in the village where he resided 
until they made him judge, and he soon brought the people 
to a sober and regular life. Hearing of his fame, they 
began to resort to him from the other villages, to settle 
their difficulties, and he was of so much benefit to them 
that they could not dispense with his services. 

But he could not accomplish all that h'e desired in the 
interests of the Medes while acting only in the capacity of 
a judge. He could give advice and counsel, but had not 
sufficient authority to fully control them. The monarchial 
form of government he thought preferable to any other, 
and best suited to the wants of his people. 

The monarchial government, when the monarch is not 
a tyrant, but "his ways are just and equal," and "justice 
and judgment are the habitation of his throne," and the 
monarchy has its grand prototype in the government of 
God, — is superior to any other. 



THE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE. 



53 



Dejoces de- 
cides to in- 
troduce 
this form 
of govern- 
ment, and 
works to 
hring it 
about. 



Assembly- 
called. 



Servants 

sent. 



Their 
course. 



Monarchy, 
erected. 



Dcjoees. 
king. 



He endea- 
vors to in- 
spire his 
subjects 
with awe 
and respect 

His palace. 



Its location 



Dejoces, wishing to do all that could be done for his 
countrymen, decided to introduce the monarchial form of 
government. This he could not do safely without the 
consent and corporation of the peop ] \ For him to pro- 
claim himself king and assume the r< is of government as 
monarch would endanger his life. J t was apparent, if a 
monarchy was established, that he was the only one suited 
to fill the office of king. But if he ever came to fill such 
an office, the people must make the office and put him in 
it. This they would never do unless they felt that it was 
important ; so he decided to pursue such a course as would 
make them realize the importance of doing so. He there- 
fore suddenly vacated the office of judge, and retired to 
private life, refusing to render them any more service in 
that capacity, and they were thrown into greater con- 
fusion than ever before, and were made to feel the neces- 
sity of fixing upon some substantial form of government. 

They called an assembly for the purpose of considering 
the matter, and Dejoces, who had been carefully watchmg 
their movements, sent his servants to that assembly with 
instructions how to act. When the question was raised as 
to what form of government they should decide upon, 
these servants suggested the monarchial, and after much 

Co " 

discussion, they decided to adopt that form, and so 
erected a monarchy. 

Then they said, " Who shall be the king?" when, with 
unanimous voice, Dejoces was elected, as the only man 
capable of filling the office ; and he was the first king of 
the Medes. 

When Dejoces had ascended the throne, he endeavored 
to establish himself in his dignity as king, by attending to 
those things which were calculated to inspire awe and 
respect for his person. 

He required his subjects to build him a magnificent 
palace. 

It was erected upon the summit of a hill, which was 
regular in form and of equal ascent on every side. He 
strongly fortified it, and then selected a body-guard ; thus 



51 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Gives his 
attention to 
the general 
interests of 
the govern- 
ment. 



Builds a 
city. 

Its 

location 
and ar- 
rangement 



Called 
Ecbatana. 

Modern 
city of 
Hamadan 
on fame 
site. 

Dejoces 
reigns 53 
years. 
The char- 
acter of his 
work. 



Unlike 
others. 



But few 
know of 
him. 

Alexander 
and 
Xerxes 
extolled. 



Dejoces to 
the front. 



providing for his own protection. He then gave his 
attention to the interests of the government generally. 

The Medes, having lived in their rude villages in a state 
of anarchy so long, it required much wisdom to civilize 
and refine them ; but Dejoces was sufficient for the work. 

He directed them to build a city, which should stand as 
the metropolis of their kingdom, and he superintended its 
construction himself. This city was built on the hill upon 
the summit of which the royal palace was located. 

Seven distinct walls were built around the hill, ranging 
from the base to the summit in such a manner that the 
front of each wall could be distinctly seen from the 
outside. The parapets were gorgeously painted, and 
presented to the eye a very attractive appearance. Be- 
tween the walls, the dwellings of the citizens were erected, 
and the whole appearance of the city was that of a huge 
stairway, as it was viewed from any direction. 

This city was called Ecbatana, and was the grand 
capital of the Median government from that time onward 
through its history. The modern city of Hamadan now 
occupies the site of that Ecbatana. 

Dejoces reigned in Media fifty-three years, during which 
time he gave his whole attention to the interests of the 
government, and devoted all his energies to the welfare of 
his subjects. lie reigned that entire period without 
becoming involved in war with his neighbors. 

"We think this cannot be said of any other ruler who has 
stood as long at the head of a government ; and yet 
Dejoces is almost wholly lost sight of to-day. But few 
people, comparatively, know that such a man ever lived. 
Such men as Alexander the Great, and Xerxes the 
Great, are constantly referred to, and their names ex- 
tolled because of their military genius, and mighty deeds 
of daring in warfare and bloodshed, while Dejoces is 
rarely ever mentioned. 

We therefore bring him to the front as being worthy of 
mention, and deserving of a place in the respect of the 
people. 



THE ZfEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE. 



55 



Phraortes 

reigns 22 

years. 

Unlike his 

father. 

His 

conquests. 



Declares 
war upon 
Assyria. 



Over- 
powered ; 
destroyed. 

Cyaxares I 
and his 
work. 



Reigns 40 
years. 
Astyages 
reigns 35y. 

His two 
children. 

Daughter 
Mandana. 
Her 
marriage. 

Cambyses. 

Achena- 

enes. 

Astyages 

2nd 

marriage. 

Darius 
born. 



Birth of 
Cyrus. 



Dejoces was succeeded by his son Phraortes, who 
reigned twenty-two years. He did not follow in the 
peaceful ways of his father, but was soon engaged in war 
with other nations. He conquered a part of Persia, which 
at this point is first particularly noticed in history, and 
also made several conquests in the north and west of 
Media. Being encouraged by this success^ he finally 
declared war upon Saosduchinus, the king of Assyria. 
(This was before the supremacy of the Babylonian empire.) 
The Assyrian king marshalled his hosts in defence of his 
government, and succeeded in overpowering the Median 
king, took possession of Ecbatana, and destroyed the life 
of Phraortes. 

Ctaxares I., the son of Phraortes, then mounted the 
throne to re-establish the government and control the 
affairs of Media. He is the one whom we mentioned in 
our previous lecture who entered into the conspiracy with 
Nabopolassar, the Babylonian usurper, and destroyed 
Saracas, the last king of Nineveh, together with the city 
itself. 

He reigned forty years, and was followed by his son 
Astyages, who reigned thirty-five years. 

Astyages was the father of two children, who are 
prominent in history. The eldest was a daughter by 
his first wife. Her name was Mandana. This 
daughter he gave in marriage to Cambyses, a Persian 
prince, who was the son of Achemenes, the first king of 
Persia mentioned in history, and heir to the Persian 
throne. 

The mother of Mandana dying, Astyages married 
again, and a son was born to him whom he called Cyax- 
ares II. He is better known to us as Darius the Mede. 
He was half-brother to Mandana, who had become the 
wife of the Persian prince. 

One year after the birth of Dartus, there was born to 
Cambyses and Mandana, in Persia, a son, whom they 
called Cyrus, and he was the noted, Cyrus the Persian, 
— of whom so much is said in history. He was a nephew 



56 



THE WORLDS GREAT EMPIRES. 



Nephew of 
Darius. 



History 

runs 

parallel. 



Their 
character- 
istics a 
contrast. 



Descrip- 
tion ot the 
Medes. 



Descrip- 
tion of the 
Persians. 



Persian 
schools. 



of Darius the Mede, and only one year younger than his 
uncle. 

From this point, the history of the Medes and Persians 
runs parallel, until they unite to establish the Medo- 
Persian Empire. 

And now, in order to appreciate the events which are 
to follow, we deem it proper to notice some of the char- 
acteristics of these two nations. They were almost a 
complete contrast in their habits of life. 

The Medes were given very much to display in dress 
and to extravagance in eating and drinking. Especially 
was this true of the kings. They adorned themselves in 
a gorgeous manner, with jewels, necklaces and ornaments 
of various kinds. They painted their faces, arched their 
eyebrows, and ornamented their hair with false locks, 
thinking that these all added much to their beauty and 
dignity. They were possessed of abundant wealth, and 
indulged largely in the use of wine and highly-seasoned 
food. Their tables were loaded with every luxury that 
the kingdom could afford, that their taste might be 
gratified. 

The Medes gave but little attention to educational 
interests, depending more upon their great wealth and 
dignity of appearance for success, than upon the solid 
basis of thorough discipline and substantial character. 

The Persians, as stated, were almost directly opposite 
to the Medes in their habits of life. Their clothing was of 
the coarsest material, and very plain in arrangement ; no 
ornaments of any kind were attached to their person. 
They were of strictly temperate habits, — bread, cresses 
and water comprising their principal articles of diet. 

These Persians gave much attention to education, and 
their institutions of learning were of great importance, 
especially their military schools, to which we wish to call 
particular attention. These schools were established by 
the government for the purpose of training boys and young 
men for active and important service. The schools were 
divided into several classes, which were graded according 



THE ME DO-PERSIAN EMPIRE. 



bl 



Position of 
the Per- 
sians at the 
birth of 
Cyrus 

Cyrns 
enters 
school. 



Visit to his 
grand- 
father. 



Follow 
Xenophon. 

Herodotus 
not reliable 



to the age of the students. As soon as the boys were old 
enough to be instructed, they were placed in the chil- 
dren's class, where they remained until they were 
seventeen years old. In this class they were drilled in 
the first principles of political and military affairs. When 
seventeen years of age they were promoted to the young 
men's class, in which they were watched more carefully, 
and subjected to a more rigid discipline. They continued 
in this class ten years, until they were twenty-seven years 
old. At that age they entered the men's class, in which 
they continued twenty-five years, until they reached the 
age of fifty-two. From this class were chosen all the 
principal men of the government ; those who were to fill 
prominent offices and responsible positions, and those who 
were required to lead forth the armies in defence of the 
country. They had still another class, of old men, who 
were held for council. On account of having passed 
through all those different classes, they were considered 
qualified to judge of important matters in the interests of 
the government of Persia. 

When Cyrus was born, the Persians consisted of twelve 
tribes, and occupied only one province of the territory 
afterward known as Persia. 

Cambyses placed his son, Cyrus, in the children's class 
very early in life, and he remained in it until he was 
twelve years old. He was then allowed to accompany his 
mother Mandana on a visit to the royal palace of his 
grandfather, Astyages, king of Media. 

Before proceeding further with the history of Cyrus, 
which we purpose to quite fully detail, we wish to say 
that we shall follow the account given by Xenophon in 
preference to that given by Herodotus. Both of these 
historians have written extensively upon the life and work 
of Cyrus the Persian, but their statements do not agree. 
Herodotus seems to have had no object in view but to 
record the flying reports concerning him, without any 
reference to their reliability, many of which are too absurd 
and inconsistent to believe. 



58 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Xeno- 
phon's 
claim. 



History 
resumed. 



They ar- 
rive in 
Ecbatana. 
Their 
reception. 

Astyages 
pleased 
with Cyrus 

"Wishes 
ihim to 
remain in 
Media. 

Induce- 
ments. 

Cyrus' in- 
difference. 



Special 
feast. 
Its 
character. 



Cyrus 
questioned 

His 
answer. 



Special 
privileges. 



But Xenophon claims to have given a correct history of 
this Persian noble. In the beginning of his Cyropsedia, 
he says : " Having always looked upon this great man as 
worthy of admiration , I took a pleasure in informing 
myself of his birth, his natural temper and education, that 
I might know by what means he became so great a prince ; 
and herein I advance nothing but what has been related to 
me." He having made these statements, proceeds to give 
a consistent account of that noble prince ; and therefore 
Xenophon's history of Cyrus is considered by all who 
have given the subject any candid thought, to be the most 
reliable ; and this is our reason for following him, instead 
of Herodotus ; and with this understanding we proceed 
with his history. 

When Mandana, with her son Cyrus, arrived in Ecba- 
tana, they were cordially received by Astyages, who was 
much pleased with the appearance of his grandson, though 
he thought his coarse clothing hardly becoming a prince. 
Young Cyrus was so pleasing in his manners that he soon 
gained the affections of all. His grandfather wished very 
much to retain him in his palace, and endeavored to offer 
inducements to prevail upon the Persian prince to tarry in 
Media, instead of returning to his Persian home. 

But Cyrus was so very indifferent to all these efforts 
that his grandfather was troubled. Then he resolved to 
offer Cyrus a still greater inducement than ever before, 
and made a special feast to the honor of this young prince. 
The table was spread with every luxury that his imagina- 
tion could devise, or his means produce. But Cyrus was 
so indifferent while the feast was being prepared, that his 
grandfather was annoyed, and questioned him concerning 
his course,; when he said, — "We Persians do not go such 
a roundabout way to get something to eat. A little bread, 
cresses, and water are sufficient for us. There is no neces- 
sity of being to so much expense just to gratify the ap- 
petite." 

King Astyages is said to have given his grandson the 
privilege .of .disposing of the luxuries of the table among 



THE MEDO-PEBSIAN EMPIRE. 



59 



Distri- 
bution of 
presents. 



Sacas 
slighted 
and why. 



Boyish 
freak. 

His grand- 
father dis- 
pleased. 

Reproof. 



Cyrus fills 
the office of 
cup-bearer 



Excellent, 
grace. 



Accused of 
forgetting 
to taste the 
wine. 
Why nec- 
essary to 
taste it. 



Cyrus' 
shrewd de- 
fence and 
reproof. 



his friends at court, when "he immediately distributed 
them to the king's officers in waiting." "He gave to one 
because he taught him to ride ; to another because he 
waited well upon his grandfather ; and to a third because 
he took good care of his mother ; " thus manifesting his 
love and respect for all, except Sacas, the king's cup-bearer. 
He failed to bestow any such favor upon him, because he 
had refused to introduce him into the presence of the king 
as often as he desired to be thus admitted. 

This was a boyish freak ; and while we see so many 
noble characteristics in young Cyrus, we must not forget 
that he was only a boy. His grandfather was displeased 
because he treated his cup-bearer so unkindly, and took 
occasion to reprove him, saying: "You have slighted 
Sacas, my cup-bearer, who is chief among my officers ; 
there is none amons; them all who can serve me with so 
much grace as he can." " If that is all," said Cyrus, spor- 
tively ; " if that be sufficient to merit your favor, I will 
quickly obtain it ; for I can serve you better than he." 
Then placing the napkin upon his shoulder, he took the 
cup and presented it to the king with as much grace as 
though he had always been accustomed to the work. His 
grandfather was pleased with the graceful manner in which 
the act was performed, but he accused him of forgetting 
one thing. He said: "You did not taste it yourself." 
The cup-bearer was always required to pour a little wine 
from the cup into his left hand and taste it, before he pre- 
sented it to the king, to show that there was no poison 
in it, for the king's life was constantly exposed to danger ; 
but if- the cup-bearer who had charge of the wine tasted 
it himself, it was evidence that it was not poisoned. In 
reply to his grandfather's accusation, he said: " No," it 
was not through forgetfulness that I omitted that part of 
the ceremony. I apprehended that there was poison in 
it." " But why should you think there was poison in it ? " 
he was asked. "Because, not long ago, at an entertain- 
ment, after the guests had drunk a little of that wine, I 
perceived that all their heads were turned ; they sang and 



60 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Mandana 
returns to 
Persia. 

Cyrus re- 
mains to 
practice 
riding. 

No horses 
in Persia. 



His stay in 
Media. 



Work of 
Evil- 

Merodach. 



Cyrus has 
his first 
practical, 
experience 



Victory 
due to him 



He departs 
for Persia. 



Sad 

farewell. 



Arrives in 
Persia ; 

re-enters 
the chil- 
dren's • 
class. 



made much noise, and talked they knew not what; and 
you yourself seemed to have forgotten that you were king, 
and they that they were subjects ; and when you would 
have danced you could not stand upon your feet." Cyrus 
is thus represented as wittily reproving his grandfather 
for his intemperance. 

When Mandana had finished her stay in the palace of 
her father, and was prepared to return to her husband in 
Persia, Cyeus was permitted to remain in Media for the 
purpose of perfecting himself in the art of riding, which 
he had had but little experience in, and which was un- 
known in Persia. The barrenness of that country, and its 
rough craggy mountains, rendered it unfavorable to the 
use of horses, and so none were raised. 

He tarried in Media until he was nearly sixteen years 
old. About that time Evil-Merodach, son of Nebuchad- 
nezzar, king of Babylon, advanced with some soldiers 
into Media and committed depredations which made 
it necessary that Astyages should proceed to oppose and 
defeat him. In connection with those circumstances, 
Cyrus had his first practical military experience, and it is 
said that he conducted so admirably on that occasion, that 
the victory which the Medes gained over the Babylonians 
was principally owing to his valor. 

Soon after this event, his father required him to return 
to Persia for the purpose of giving further attention to 
his education . On his departure from Media, there was great 
sorrow. His grandfather accompanied him a long distance on 
horseback, with his officers in attendance, and when the 
moment came for them to bid him farewell and turn back, 
the whole company were bathed in tears. 

Cyrus thus returned to Persia, to the kind embrace of 
his parents, after his long absence. He entered again 
the Children's Class, in which he continued one year, 
until he was seventeen years of age ; giving as careful and 
respectful attention to his studies as though he had never 
been a resident of such a magnificent and luxurious a 
court as that of the Median Kino;. 



THE MEDO-PEBSIAN EMPIRE. 



61 



Enters the 
young 
men's class 

Men's class 

40 years 
old when 
he left the 
school. 



Persian 
discipline 
not suited 
to the hoys 
of to-day, 
and why. 



Sad feature 
of our 
times. 



Death of 
Astyages. 

Darius 
made king. 



Involved 
in trouble. 



At the age of seventeen years, he entered the young 
men's class, in which he continued ten years ; and when 
twenty-seven years of age, he entered the Men's Class, 
where he remained thirteen years, until he was forty years 
old ; when he was called to put his knowledge into prac- 
tical use ; and, as we trace his work, we shall realize more 
fully the advantage of those Persian schools. And yet, 
with all their advantages, they would hardly suit the boys 
of to-day. But few boys of the nineteenth century would 
willingly consent to remain in the Children's class until 
they were seventeen years old. Somehow, in these times, 
they get far beyond the Children's Class long before they 
arrive at the age of seventeen. When but ten or twelve 
years old, we often find them too far advanced in their 
own estimation to be instructed by parents or teachers, 
and scorning all discipline, they treat those who ought to 
control them, with the utmost contempt and disrespect. 
Father is " the old man" and mother is " the old woman." 
Alas, for the degeneracy of our time ! 

During the time that Cyrus was receiving his education 
in Persia, his grandfather, Astyages, died, and left the 
Median throne to his son Darius the Mede, who was 
only one year older than his nephew Cyrus. 

When Cyrus had been thirteen years in the Men's 
Class, and was fully forty years of age, his uncle, Darius, 
the Mede, was involved in great difficulty ; for Neriglis- 
sar, who had been exalted to the throne in Babylon on 
the death of Evil-Merodach, immediately declared war 
upon the Medes, and, as we noticed in the preceding 
lecture, he sent ambassadors over to India, representing to 
the king of that country that the Medes and Persians were 
dangerous people, and unless they made some effort to 
break down their government, they would experience 
much trouble from them. But the king of India sent 
ambassadors to enquire more thoroughly into these affairs, 
and, finally, he decided in favor of the Medes and Persians, 
against the Babylonian king. 

When Nerifflissar declared war against Media, Darius 



62 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Darius 
sends to 
Persia for 
assistance. 



Cyras to 
command. 
Great joy. 



Persian 
army 
30,000 men 

Cyrus 
commands 



Cambyses 
accom- 
panies his 
son. 

Gives him 
useful in- 
struction. 



His words 
not lost. 



Cyrus' ad- 
dress to his 
soldiers. 



realizing his need of assistance, sent down into Persia, 
and requested Cambyses, who was then king of Persia, to 
send him some Persian soldiers, and to arrange that Cyrus 
should command the forces. When it was known that 
Cyrus was to lead forth the Persian army, there was great 
joy and enthusiasm throughout Persia, for the young men 
had so much respect and love for him that they rejoiced 
in the opportunity of rallying around his standard, even 
though they were compelled to go. 

An army of thirty thousand soldiers, all infantry, — for 
there was no cavalry then in Persia, — was placed under 
the command of Cyrus, to go forth to the asssistance of 
Darius king of the Medes. 

When prepared to march, Cambyses, the father of Cyrus, 
accompanied him to the frontiers of Persia, and on the 
way took occasion to give him some excellent instruction 
concerning the duties devolving upon the general of an 
army. He questioned him closely about the instructions 
he had received from his teachers upon different points, 
and found that some of the most essential things had been 
neglected, particularly concerning economy, and the best 
means of supporting an army, and of preserving the health 
of his soldiers, and with reference to the proper means of 
making the soldiers obedient and respectfully submissive. 
Cyrus had only been taught the rules of warfare concern- 
ing military drill. When asked by his father what he 
had been taught, he said: "They have taught me to 
fence, to draw the bow, to fling the javelin, to mark out 
a camp, to draw the plan of a fortification, to range troops 
in order of battle, to review them, to see them march, file 
off, and encamp." 

The words of his father, as he endeavored to impart 
useful and practical knowledge to his son, were not lost : 
Cyrus treasured them up, and was profited by them. 

The address of Cyrus to his army just before they 
started for Media, is of special interest. It is as fol- 
lows : — ' ' Soldiers ! Do you know the nature of the enemy 
you have to deal with ? They are soft, effeminate, ener- 



THE MEDO-PEESIAN EMPIRE. 



63 



Arrives in 
Media. 

All the 

forces 

under his 

command. 

Neriglis- 

sar's army 

200,000 

foot, 60,000 

horse. 

Medes and 

Persians 

less than 

one-half. 

Cyrus 

plans the 

expedition 

Wonderful 

order 

inspires 

respect. 

His 

principle. 



Three 
years pre. 
paring. 



vated men, already half conquered by their own luxury 
and voluptuousness ; men not able to bear either hunger 
or thirst ; equally incapable of supporting the toils of war, 
or the sight of danger ; whereas to you that are inured 
from infancy to a sober and hard way of living ; to you, I 
say, hunger and thirst are but the sauce, — and the only 
sauce — to your meals ; fatigues are your pleasures, dan- 
gers your delight, and the love of your country and of 
glory your only passion. Besides, the justice of our cause 
is another considerable advantage. They are the aggres- 
sors. It is the enemy that attacks us ; and they are our 
friends and allies that required our aid. Can anything be 
more just than to repel the injury they would bring upon 
us ? Is there anything more honorable than to fly to the 
assistance of our friends ? But what ought to be the prin- 
cipal motive of your confidence is, that I do not engage 
in this expedition without having first consulted the gods, 
and implored their protection ; for you know it is my cus- 
tom to begin all my actions, and all my undertakings, in 
that manner," 

When Cyrus arrived in Media he was given command 
of all the forces to operate against the Babylonians. The 
army of Neriglissar numbered two hundred thousand 
foot, and sixty thousand horse, while the united armies of 
the Medes and Persians, under the command of Cyrus, 
amounted to less than one-half that number. 

Cyrus gave his immediate attention to the planning of 
the expedition. He established wonderful order among 
his troops, and inspired them with respect for himself, by 
promising reward, and by his obliging and courteous 
deportment. He placed no value upon money, but to give 
it where it was needed. He was continually making 
presents to one and another according to their merit. He 
thought it better for a general to distinguish himself by 
his benevolence, than by the luxuries of his table or the 
richness of his clothing. 

About three years were occupied by both parties in 
preparing for an engagement, and during that time Darius 



64 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Trouble on 
account of 
the 

Armenian 
king. 



Cyrus 
adjusts it. 

The course 
pursued by 
him iu 
adjusting 
the matter. 



Interesting 

questions 

and 

answers 

between 

Cyrus and 

the king. 



was involved in another difficulty ; for the king of Armenia 
who had been made tributary to him, taking advantage of 
the existing circumstances, attempted to throw off the 
Median yoke. He refused to pay the ordinary tribute 
and to send the number of troops he was required to 
furnish in time of war; and also held secret intelligence 
with the Babylonian king. This greatly embarrassed 
Darius, and he knew not what to do. If he undertook 
to compel the Armenian king to abide by the terms of 
agreement, the Babylonians would take advantage while 
his attention should be turned in that direction. The 
matter was finally left to Cyrus, and he proceeded to 
adjust it in a remarkably interesting manner. He had 
been accustomed when a boy, while on that visit to his 
grandfather's, to going up into the country of Armenia 
on hunting excursions, and was familiar with the route 
and surroundings of the king. He therefore appointed a 
hunting excursion, and arranged that his soldiers should 
follow in the rear ; and at a certain signal should advance 
to his assistance. He then proceeded into that territory, 
and managed the matter so shrewdly that he surrounded 
the Armenian king, and took him and his family all pris- 
oners before they were aware of his design, and brought 
them into the midst of the army ; where they were sub- 
jected to a peculiarly remarkable trial. There were pres- 
ent all the officers of the Medes and Persians, and the 
great men of Armenia ; and even the ladies were not ex- 
cluded. When all was ready, Cyrus called them to order, 
and proceeded with the trial, requiring the king to answer 
all his questions sincerely, which he did, until he even pro- 
nounced sentence upon himself. Cyrus questioned him 
concerning the relation he sustained to the king of Media, 
until he admitted that he was justly a vassal. Then said 
Cyrus : ' ' For what reason have you violated the treaty 
in every article ? " " Because," said he, " I thought it a 
glorious thing to shake off the yoke, to live free, and to 
leave my children in the same condition." "It is really 
glorious," replied the Persian general, " to fight in defence 



THE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE. 



65 



Tygranes 
intercedes 
for his 
father. 

His 

powerful 
argument. 



of liberty ; but if any one after he is reduced to servitude 
should attempt to run away from his master, what would 
you do with him ?" "I would punish him," said the king. 
" And if you had given a government to one of your sub- 
jects, and he should be found to misbehave, would you 
continue him in his post?" "No; I would put another 
in his place." "And if he had amassed great riches by 
his unjust practices?' "I would strip him of them." 
"But what is still worse," said Cyrus, "if he had held in- 
telligence with your enemies, how would you treat him?" 
"Though I should pass sentence upon myself," answered 
the king, " I must declare the truth ; I would put him to 
death." As these words were uttered, Tygranes, the king's 
son, and all the members of the royal family, began to be- 
wail in anguish, as though sentence had been pronounced 
upon him. 

When order had been restored, Tygranes began to inter- 
cede for the life of his father. Addressing himself to 
Cyrus, he said : " Great Prince ! can you think it consist- 
ent with your wisdom to put my father to death, even 
against your own interest?" " But how," asked Cyrus, 
"can it be against my interest?" "Because," said the 
young Armenian, " he was never so capable of doing you 
service." Then Cyrus asked : " Do the faults we commit 
enhance our merit, and give us a new title to considera- 
tion and favor?" "They certainly do," replied Tygranes, 
' ' provided they serve to make us wiser. For wisdom is 
of inestimable value. Now it is evident, this single day's 
experience has infinitely improved my father's wisdom. 
He knows how dear the violation of his word has cost him. 
He has proved and felt how much you are superior to him 
in all respects." "But your father," said Cyrus, "has 
yet undergone no sufferings that can have taught him wis- 
dom." Tygranes answered : "The fear of evil, when it is 
so well founded as this is, has a much sharper sting, and 
is more capable of piercing the soul, than the evil itself. 
Besides, permit me to say, that gratitude is a stronger 
and more prevailing motive than any other ; and there can 



66 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



a higher nature, 



Heprevails 



Natural 
affection. 



Love for 
his wife. 



Recipro- 
cated. 



Armenian 

question 

settled. 

Cyrus 
advances. 

Engage- 
ment. 

Result. 



Belshaz- 

zar's 

position. 



be no obligations in the world of 
than those you will lay upon my father. His fortune, 
liberty, sceptre, life, wives and children, all being re- 
stored to him with such generosity ; where can you find, 
illustrious prince, in one single person, so many strong 
and powerful ties to attach him to your service ? " 

This powerful argument of Tygranes prevailed, and the 
Armenian king was pardoned, and all the members of his 
family released. Cyrus was much pleased with young 
Tygranes, and admired his noble conduct. He was pos- 
sessed of natural affection beyond many who live even to- 
day ; and this is realized more fully as we notice his love 
for his wife. When C}tus was about to release his pris- 
oners, he said to Tygranes, " How much would you give 
for the redemption of your wife?" He answered, "A 
thousand lives, if I had them." This great love was recip- 
rocated on her part ; for, when all were engaged comment- 
ing upon the benevolence of Cyrus, and praising his per- 
sonal appearance, she was silent, until her husband asked 
what she thought of the Persian noble. She replied, "I 
do not know, I did not observe him." " Upon what ob- 
ject, then, did you fix your eyes?" "Upon him," an- 
swered the loyal wife, " who said he would give a thou- 
sand lives to ransom my liberty." If all would thus 
honor the marriage relation, divorces would be un- 
known. 

When the Armenian question was settled, and the pre- 
parations for war were completed, Cyrus, in command of 
the Medes and Persians, advanced upon the Babylonians. 
An engagement followed, which resulted in victory to the 
Medes and Persians. Neriglissar was slain on the battle- 
field, in the fourth year of his reign. Laborosoarchod 
succeeded to the throne of Babylon ; but was too weak and 
corrupt to accomplish anything in defence of his country. 
He only reigned nine months, and was put to death. Then 
Belshazzar came upon the throne, as we noticed in our 
previous lecture, to find himself involved in war with the 
Medes and Persians. 



THE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE. 



67 



His need of 
assistance. 

Arrange- 
ment with 
Croesus. 



Croesus 
noted for 
■wealth. 

Adage. 



Discourag- 
ing news. 



Cyrus ad- 
vances 
upon the 
enemy. 



Long 
march. 

Easily 
performed. 



During the time which intervened between the death of 
Neriglissar and the exaltation of Belshazzar to the Baby- 
lonian throne, Cyrus had been so successful in his opera- 
tions that Belshazzar realized the necessity of assistance in 
order to defend his country ; he therefore went in person 
to Sardis in Lydia, and made an arrangement with Crcesus, 
the Lydian king, whereby he was appointed generalissimo 
of all the forces which could be raised in the Provinces of 
Asia Minor, and in Egypt and Syria, to lead them, in the 
interests of Belshazzar, against the enemy. 

Croesus had great wealth, which gave him position and 
influence. His name and wealth have passed into an adage 
that is often used to-day; for if a man be very wealthy, 
we say, "He is as rich as Croesus. ," 

Belshazzar thought himself highly successful in gaining 
the co-operation of one who was possessed of so much 
influence. 

When the soldiers of Cyrus heard of this arrangement 
they were troubled ; but their courage soon revived, when 
that general portrayed before them the character and con- 
dition of those against whom they were to operate. Cyrus 
having made special preparation for the expedition, did 
not wait for the enemy to attack him, but understanding 
the advantages of making the enemy's country the seat of 
war, he advanced immediately with his troops into the 
enemy's land, leaving about one third of his army with 
Darius in Media, that the country might not be left de- 
fenceless. 

A long march was before them, but was easily per- 
formed, from the fact that Cyrus had been careful to in- 
struct his officers particularly and personally with refer- 
ence to their duties, from the highest to the lowest, so that 
there was a full understanding as to what was required of 
each of them, and no confusion occurred while on their 
route. Cyrus knew the names of all the officers in his 
army, and used to say that he thought it "strange that an 
artificer should know the names of his tools, and a general 
should be so indifferent as not to know the names of all his 



68 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



He comes 
upon the 
enemy. 



Decisive 

battle. 



Takes 
Sardis. 



Croesus a 
prisoner. 

Calls Solon 



Remem- 
bers con- 
versation 
with Solon. 



His riches 
a source of 
happiness. 



captains, which are the instruments he must make use of 
in all his enterprises and operations." He thought this 
more encouraging to his officers, also, as it led them to 
believe that they were both known and esteemed by their 
general. 

He marched his army directly towards Lydia, where 
Croesus was preparing his forces to make an attack upon 
the Medes. Crossing the rivers Tygris and Euphrates, and 
passing through the provinces of Asia Minor, — as we said 
in our previous lecture, — he came upon the enemy at Thym- 
bria, a city of Lydia, near to Sardis, the capital of that 
country. Croesus and his men were strangely surprised 
at his coming. They had not dreamed of such daring on 
his part, when his army was so much inferior in numbers 
to theirs. But, though his army was small in comparison 
with their numerous forces, he had taken them so much 
by surprise that they were not prepared for operations. 
Cyrus then forced an engagement, and the famous battle 
of Thymbria was fought, between Cyrus and Croesus, and 
victory turned on the side of the Persian general. Croesus 
fled before him to Sardis, and Cyrus advanced upon that 
capital and took it, becoming possessed of immense trea- 
sures in consequence. 

Croesus was taken prisoner and placed upon the funeral 
pile, and was about to die, when suddenly he cried aloud 
« ' Solon ! Solon ! ! Solon ! ! ! " This demonstration ex- 
cited the curiosity of Cyrus, and he asked the reason why 
he had uttered the name of that noted wise man of Greece 
under those circumstances ? Croesus then related to him 
a conversation he had formerly had with Solon, and which 
was brought fresh to mind, as he lay defeated upon the 
funeral pile. 

We have already noticed that Croesus was possessed of 
immense wealth, and like many in these times he thought 
riches the only thing essential to promote happiness. He 
was so much impressed with that idea that he considered 
himself the most happy man in all the world, and was 
displeased at any intimation to the contrary. He loved 



THE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE. 69 

Loved to be praised and flattered, and was willing to reward any 

flattery. in .... . . 

who would gratify his desires in that direction, and he 
had often those in his palace who were ready to flatter and 
cajole him for the sake of the advantages they received, for a 
flatterer always works for the advantage he may get to him- 
self. Croesus not only prized wealth, but found pleasure 
in the society of men of education, especially if they were 
of a character to appreciate his wealth, and to praise him 
on account of it. 

^Esop. ^sop, the author of the fables, spent much time in the 

royal palace of Croesus, and did what he could to encour- 
age that king in the idea that he was more favorably situ- 

Soion. a ^ ec [ f or enjoyment than any other. But at one time Solon, 

whose name Croesus had just called so earnestly upon the 
funeral pile, came to visit him. He was so cold and indif- 
ferent in his first approach, that Croesus formed a very un- 
favorable opinion of his new guest. He endeavored, how- 
ever, to overcome Solon's indifference by displaying his 
costly furniture and his diamonds, statuary and valuable 
paintings ; but all this had no effect upon the Grecian philo- 
sopher. These things were not the king, and it was the 
king he had come to visit, and unlike his usual guests, 
Solon had no idea of judging the king or estimating his 
worth by outward appendages. After making this great 

sartor/ display of his wealth, king Croesus asked the philosopher, — 

CroesuT " Which of mankind, in all his travels, he had found the 
most truly happy ? " expecting that he would say, with- 
out hesitation, "Crcesus." But to his surprise Solon said, 
" One Tellus, a citizen of Athens, a very honest and good 
man, who lived all his days without indigence ; had al- 
ways seen his country in a flourishing condition ; had 
children who were universally esteemed, with the satisfac- 
tion of seeing those children's children ; and at last died, 
gloriously fighting for his country." 

This answer was unsatisfactory to Crcesus, but he asked 
who might be next to Tellus in happiness ; when Solon 
mentioned others instead of the Lydian king, much to the 
displeasure of Crcesus. Then, in a tone which showed his 



and 
Solon. 



70 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Solon re- 
proved by 
iEsop. 



Solon's 
words ap- 
preciated 
at last. 



discontent, Croesus said, "You do not reckon me in the 
number of the happy ! " Solon, who would not flatter, 
said, "King of Lydia ! besides many other advantages, 
the gods have given us Grecians a spirit of moderation 
and reserve, which has produced among us a plain, popu- 
lar kind of philosophy, void of pride or ostentation, and, 
therefore not well suited to the courts of kings ; this phil- 
osophy, considering what an infinite number of vicissi- 
tudes and accidents the life of man is liable to, does not 
allow us either to glory in any prosperity we ourselves 
enjoy, or to admire happiness in others, which, perhaps, 
may prove only transient or superficial. The life of man 
seldom exceeds seventy years, which make in all six thou- 
sand two hundred and fifty days, of which no two are 
exactly alike ; so that the time to come is but a series of 
various accidents which cannot be foreseen. Therefore, 
in our opinion, no man can be esteemed happy, but he 
whose happiness God continues to the end of his life." 

Having thus administered reproof to Croesus, Solon 
turned away from his royal presence, to be reproved him- 
self by iEsop, who was troubled because of the offence 
he had given the king. He said : ' ' Solon ! we had better 
not come into the presence of kings at all unless we can 
speak things which are agreeable to them." Solon re- 
plied : " Better say that Ave should not come into the pres- 
ence of kings at all unless we can say things which are for 
their profit." 

But instead of being profited, as Solon desired, Croesus 
was angry ; for the words of Solon served to mortify, but 
not to reform him. But when his wealth had failed to 
save him from the funeral pile, and in shame and disgrace 
he was sentenced to die, he remembered what Solon had 
said, and began to realize the truth of it, and so uttered 
his name those three times with deep feelings of regret 
that he had not heeded his counsel, before it was, appar- 
ently, too late. He related this circumstance to Cyrus, as 
the reason why he called the name of the wise philosopher, 
and confessed his own foolishness in thinking himself capa- 



THE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE. 



71 



Croesus 
released. 



Cyrus ad- 
vances 
upon 
Babylon. 



Ends the 
Babylon- 
ian empire. 



Scripture 
quotation. 
Age of 
Darius, 62 
years. 



Cyrus, 61 
years. 



ble of filling such a high position, simply because he was 
so rich. 

Cyrus was moved with sympathy for the humiliated 
king, and caused him to be released from the pile, and 
ever treated him with kindness and respect ; and Croesus, 
who had come to see the vanity of trusting in riches, and 
to know that only 

" High worth is elevated place," 

became a valuable aid to Cyrus, and his constant com- 
panion. 

Cyrus, having overpowered the commander-in-chief of 
the Babylonian army, speedily prepared the way for an 
attack upon the grand seat of empire itself, and, as de- 
scribed in our first lecture, advanced upon the city of 
Babylon, in the seventeenth year of Belshazzar's reign, 
and succeeded in surrounding it with a trench ; and, on 
the night of that drunken feast, when those awful scenes 
were transpiring which made Belshazzar tremble, — when 
Daniel came in and read the destiny of that last king of 
Babylon from those mysterious words upon the wall, — 
then he turned the river into the trenches, and marched 
his army in the bed of the river, under the arched walls, 
half from the north and half from the south, and through 
the gates that shut up the streets from the river, which had 
been so carelessly left open, and entered into the very 
heart of the city, and slew Belshazzar and his drunken 
host, and thus put an end to the Babylonian empire, in the 
interests of his uncle, Darius the Median, in whose ser- 
vice he was enlisted. Therefore the Scriptures say, — 

"In that night was Belshazzar the king of the dial- 
deans slain, and Darius the Median took the kingdom, 
being about three-score and two years old." 

As the age of Darius is given in this quotation as " be- 
ing about three-score and two years," or sixty-two years, 
" old," it is of interest to recall the fact that Cyrus was 
one year younger, and was therefore "about" sixty-one 
years old when he took Babylon. He had taken his posi- 



72 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



21 years' 
service. 



His course 
after tak- 
ing Baby- 
lon. 



Cyrus and 
Darius go 
to Babylon 

Medo- 
Peisian 
Empire 
established 
Extent of 
the empire. 



120 prov- 
inces. 
120 govern. 
ors. 

3 superin- 
tendents. 



Daniel the 
chief. 

Prime 
minister 
67 years. 



Jealousy 
excited. 



tion at the head of the Medes and Persians, to operate 
against the Babylonians, at the age of forty years, and had 
therefore been in active service, with the exception of oc- 
casionally a few months' rest, for nearly twenty-one years, 
when he took Babylon. 

After adjusting those affairs in Babylon which demanded 
his immediate attention, instead of taking the advantage 
which the very favorable circumstances offered him, of 
assuming the control of the government, and establishing 
an empire in his own name, he went to his uncle Darius in 
Ecbatana, and informed him of what he had done. He 
then said, "I am going down into Persia; but I shall 
return, and then I wish you to go with me to Babylon, 
which I think the most favorable location for the capital ; 
where I have prepared a palace for you, as you are to be 
the first in the empire." 

When Cyrus came back from Persia, Darius accompa- 
nied him to Babylon, where they concerted together a 
scheme of government, and established the Medo-Persian 
Empire ; the Second Universal Empire of the World. 

This empire was of such vast extent, that the emperors 
at Babylon could not attend, personally, to the local affairs 
throughout their whole realm. They therefore constituted 
in it one hundred and twenty provinces, and a governor 
was appointed over each province ; and over these hundred 
and twenty governors, there were placed three superin- 
tendents, who were always to reside at court, and to 
whom the governors were to report whatever transpired 
in their respective provinces, and from whom these gov- 
ernors received the king's orders and instructions. 

The chief one of these three superintendents was 
Daniel, the Hebrew. 

It is said, that he had been employed as prime minister 
by the kings of Babylon for sixty-seven years, and, there- 
fore, deserved this position in the Medo-Persian Empire. 
But the respect shown him, and the honor conferred upon 
him by the Medo-Persian kings, excited the jealousy of the 
other superintendents, and all the governors, who together 



THE 3IE DO-PERSIAN EMPIRE. 



73 



Effort to 
get rid of 
him. 



Such in- 
tegrity 
needed 
to-day. 



Daniel's 
custom. 



Why. 



His ene- 
mies take 
advantage. 

They pre- 
vail upon 
Darius to 
issue a 
decree. • 



The char- 
acter of it. 



"Daniel's 
position. 



concerted a plan by which to rid themselves of the annoy- 
ance of being obliged to act under a Hebrew. 

They chose, as a favorable opportunity in which to 
execute their plan, a time when Cyrus was absent from 
Babylon, and only Darius was present to act, knowing 
that he would be more easily influenced than Cyrus. 

They held counsel over this matter, and decided that 
they could not bring anything against him, unless they did 
it " concerning the law of his God." They could not im- 
peach him in his office ; for he was faithful in the discharge 
of all his duties. They therefore decided to make his 
religious devotions an occasion against him. 

If all who claim to be the children of God to-day had 
the integrity of Daniel, we should not find them so often 
disgracing themselves and dishonoring the cause they pro- 
fess to love. 

Daniel was accustomed to pray three times each day, 
with his Western windows open, looking toward Jerusa- 
lem ; for, in the prayer offered by Solomon at the dedica- 
tion of the temple, petition was made that God would hear 
his people when they should pray towards that holy city. 
Daniel remembered this, when in exile in that land of cap- 
tivity, and, though the city was in ruins, and the temple 
had been burned, he looked that way and prayed ; and, as 
he prayed, his voice sounded out upon the ears of the peo- 
ple, and his earnest devotions were noticed by his enemies, 
and advantage taken of the circumstance. 

They entered into the presence of Darius, and repre- 
sented that all the superintendents and the governors 
throughout the empire were anxious, on account of their 
respect for him, "to establish a royal statute and to make 
a firm decree, that whosoever should ask a petition of any 
God or man for thirty days, but the king himself, should 
be cast into the den of lions," and the easily flattered Me- 
dian ruler, thinking of nothing but the honor of being the 
only God for that length of time, established the decree. 

Daniel was thereby brought into an exceedingly critical 
position. For him to pray, as was his custom, was to set 



74 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



His course. 



The result. 



Modern 
professors. 



Daniel in 
the den. 



Comes 
forth. 

Takes his 
office again 

Fills it 
honorably. 



Post- 
houses, &c. 



that decree aside, and to treat with disrespect the king's 
order ; which his position, as the chief superintendent, 
bound him to respect and enforce. If he ceased to pray, 
or even appeared to refrain from offering his accustomed 
petitions, 'he would dishonor God, and prove himself a 
slave to fear, and devoid of confidence in the Being whom 
he claimed to trust. He therefore faithfully continued his 
devotions, and prayed, as he did before, three times a 
day, with his windows open; and, as the result, he was 
i ' cast into the den of lions." 

Some of our modern professors of religion would have 
devised a plan by which to have kept themselves out of 
that lions' den. They would have closed the windows and 
prayed in a little lower tone, — if they prayed at all, — 
and thus have endeavored to please God and man both, 
and have saved themselves from the threatened calamity. 

But Daniel chose to please God, and in the gloomy den 
he rejoiced in the presence of powerless lions, whose 
mouths his God had shut ; and the next morning, when 
the king, who had spent a sleepless night, called his name, 
he was ready to answer, and came forth, to take again his 
position as the chief of the superintendents, and to attend 
to his duties as before, and proves that a servant of God 
can fill an honorable place in connection with a govern- 
ment, or anywhere where a man may fitly be, and not 
disgrace himself, nor the office in which he is placed. 

That the superintendents and governors might readily 
attend to the business of the empire, Cyrus caused Post- 
houses to be established at equal distances on direct lines, 
extending from Babylon to the extreme outskirts of the 
empire, in different directions. A man was appointed to 
keep each house, and stables were kept well supplied with 
horses, with grooms to care for them, and post-riders were 
always in readiness at each of these houses. A rider would 
mount a horse at the first outpost, and ride, bearing the 
dispatches as rapidly as possible to the next post-house on 
the line of his destination, when another rider would mount 
a fresh ihorse and take the dispatches, or mail, and carry 



THE ME DO-PERSIAN EMPIRE. 



75 



Modern fa- 
cilities. 



Death of 

Darius. 
Cyrus 
reigns 
alone. 

Boundary 
of his em- 
pire. 



He issues 
an edict. 



The edict 
of Cyrus. 



them with all speed to the next station ; and so they pro- 
ceeded, until the final destination was reached. 

By this means messages were constantly being sent to 
and from Babylon. We have a mention of this in Esther 
iii. 13, where we read that the "letters were sent by posts 
into all the king's provinces," and that "the posts went 
out, being hasted by the king's co mm andment." This oc- 
curred under a king who reigned in this government sub- 
sequent to Cyrus ; so we can see that this arrangement was 
of practical use after his time. 

This is almost the first intimation we have of postal 
affairs, and was then the most efficient means of communi- 
cation possible. The world has greater facilities and ad- 
vantages now. Over roads of iron, by horses that will not 
tire, our mails are swiftly conveyed to their destination ; 
and when necessity demands that a message shall be dis- 
patched with greater speed, the electric spark is harnessed 
to do the service, and in a few moments it is sent across 
the globe. 

Two years after the consolidation of this great empire, 
Darius died, and the government was left wholly to Cyrus, 
who gave his careful attention to its interests. His empire 
was bounded on the North by the Caspian Sea and the 
Black Sea ; on the East by the River Indus ; on the South 
by Ethiopia and the Sea of Arabia, and on the West by 
the iEerean Sea. 

In the first year of Cyrus's reign, after the death of his 
uncle, he issued an edict permitting the Jews, who had 
been in captivity just seventy years, to return to Jerusa- 
lem, and to build up the temple and the city. The edict 
was as follows: — "Thus saith Cyrus, king of Persia : 
The Lord God of Heaven hath given me all the kingdoms 
of the earth ; and he hath charged me to build him an 
house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there 
among you of all his people? His God be with him, and 
let him go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah, and build 
the house of the Lord God of Israel (he is the God) , which 
is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place 



76 



THE WORLD'S GEE AT EMPIRES '. 



Recorded. 



42,360Jews 
and 7,337 
servants 
led by Ze- 
rubbabel. 



Cyrus 
reigned 
7 years. 

"What is 
said of him 



Divided 
his time 
between 
three cities 



where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him 
with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with 
beasts, besides the free-will-offering, for the house of God 
that is in Jerusalem." 

This edict was recorded, as it was required to make a 
record of all important transactions in the government. 
Shortly after this edict was promulgated, forty-two thou- 
sand three hundred and sixty Jews, with seven thousand 
three hundred and thirty-seven servants, left, under the 
leadership of Zerubbabel, and returned to Jerusalem, and 
commenced to build up the temple which had been so long 
in ruins, and to rebuild their city. 

Cyrus reigned seven }^ears after the death of Darius, 
and, during that time, the Medo-Persian empire was in 
the zenith of its glory. He is said to have been « ' the 
wisest conqueror and the most accomplished prince, whose 
record is given in profane history." During his reign, he 
divided his time between the three principal cities of his 
empire. Seven months of each year he spent in Babylon ; 
three months in Susa, the capital of his own native land ; 
and two months in Ecbatana, the capital of Media. 

At the end of seven years from the death of Darius, 
Cyrus was at Susa, in Persia, on his seventh annual visit, 
when death claimed him as its victim. 

He was then about seventy years of age. When his 
strength suddenly failed, and he saw that his work was 
done, he called his two sons, Cambyses and Tanaoxares, 
— who is more often called Smerdis, — together with his 
chief officers around his bed, to give them counsel and bid 
them farewell. He had left his wife in Babylon, and 
therefore could not have the satisfaction of her presence. 
He then offered adorations and praises to the Supreme 
Being for all the favors he had received during his life, 
and then invoked the continuance of them upon his chil- 
dren. He appointed Cambyses to be his successor in the 
government of the empire, and gave Smerdis, his young- 
est son, control of several provincial governments, and 
gave both of them excellent advice and instruction. 



THE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE. 



77 



Advice to 
his sons. 



Direction 
concerning 
his body. 



His last 
words. 



He dies. 



Good man. 
The boy. 

The young 
man. 
The man. 
Conqueror 
Ruler. 

His career. 



He said : ' ' The strength and support of the throne was 
neither the vast extent of countries, nor the number of 
forces, nor immense riches ; but a due respect for the 
Deity, a good understanding between brethren, and the art 
of acquiring and preserving true and faithful friends." He 
told his sons, therefore, to respect and love one another, 
assuring them that if their acts were guiltless and upright, 
they would augment their glory and power. 

Concerning his body, he said : " Do not enclose it in 
gold nor silver, nor any other material whatever. Re- 
store IT IMMEDIATELY TO THE EARTH." 

His last words were, — 

"Adieu, dear children! May your lives be happy. 
Carry my last remembrance to your mother. 

"And you, my faithful friends, present or absent, 
receive this last farewell ; and may you live in 
peace ! " 

Having said these words, he covered his face, and died ; 
deeply lamented by all. 

A good man had, indeed, fallen. 

Cyrus, the obedient and intelligent boy ; the genial and 
well disciplined young man ; the educated, substantial and 
well developed man ; the valiant and energetic conqueror ; 
and the judicious, kind and prosperous ruler, came to lie 
down in the grave, respected by all. 

His career was wonderful, and often seemed to be mirac- 
ulous. It seemed to him, at times, as though some un- 
seen power was prompting and supporting him. 



Cambyses 
upon the 
throne. 
In trouble. 
Egyptians. 



Chief 
Magian. 



Cambyses, the son of Cyrus, came upon the throne, to 
find himself immediately involved in trouble ; for, as soon 
as Cyrus was dead, the Egyptians attempted to throw off 
the Medo-Persian yoke, and Cambyses found himself 
obliged to go and reduce them again and bring them into 
submission. To prepare the way for his expedition into 
Egypt, he appointed Patisithes, one of his Magi, — or wise 
men, — to be administrator of the affairs in the Eastern 
part of his Empire ; and, having thus arranged for the 



78 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Cambyses 

advances 

upon 

Egypt. 

Pelusium. 

East of 
Port Said. 



Stratagem. 



Egyptians 
reduced. 



Crnel dis- 
position. 



The Car- 
thagenians 
and Ethio- 
pians. 



Spies. 



Presents. 



Pro and 
con. 



interests of the government in the East, he left for Egypt, 
accompanied by his own brother, Smerdis. 

As he advanced with his forces to invade Egypt, he 
found his way obstructed at the very gateway to the ene- 
my's land. The little city of Pelusium was there, located 
on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, a little eastward of 
what is now called "Port Said" and it was strongly for- 
tified and prepared to resist his efforts. To proceed into 
the heart of Egypt, Cambyses saw that he must get pos- 
session of that city, or fail to reduce Egypt. He also real- 
ized that it would consume more time than he was willing: 
to spend if he should lay siege to it, and attempt to take 
it in the ordinary way. He therefore carefully considered 
the matter, and learning that the garrison was composed 
wholly of Egyptians, and knowing that they were very 
superstitious, and looked upon certain animals as sacred, 
such as the cat, the sheep, and the dog, he resorted to a 
peculiar stratagem by which to become possessed of their 
city. He procured a large number of cats, sheep and 
dogs, and drove them in front of his army into the city, 
and took it by storm. The Egyptians, not daring to offer 
any resistance lest they should destroy the lives of those 
sacred creatures, were easily overpowered. 

Cambyses then proceeded into Egypt, and succeeded in 
bringing the Egyptians under his power; and then, for- 
getting the advice and instruction of his father, he began 
to manifest a very cruel disposition, and seemed deter- 
mined to cause all the suffering possible in every direction, 
and to delight in it. 

The Carthagenians and Ethiopians had now come to 
have considerable influence, and, though they had not 
given Cam Irises any trouble, he looked with jealous eyes 
upon them, and sought to force them to submit to him. 
He therefore sent spies down into Ethiopia to learn the 
condition and strength of the country ; and, to deceive the 
king, he sent presents of golden bracelets, perfumes, and 
wines, which were of no real value to the Ethiopian ruler. 
But he was not deceived by the false pretences of Cam- 



THE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE. 



79 



Cambyses' 
rashness. 

Further 
evidence of 
cruelty. 

Causes 
Smerdis to 
be put to 
death. 

Marries 
his sister. 



Kills her. 

Buried 
alive. 

Prexaspes. 



byses, but sent in return a present of a bow, which was 
so heavy that a Persian could scarcely lift it, saying, 
" This is the present and the counsel the king of Ethiopia 
sends to the king of Persia. When the Persians shall be 
able to use a bow of this size and strength with as much 
ease as I have now bent this, then let him come to attack 
the Ethiopians, and let him bring more troops with him 
than Cambyses is master of at present. But, until then, 
he has reason to be thankful that the Ethiopians do not 
propose to extend their dominions beyond their own 
country." 

But Cambyses rashly advanced upon them, and suffered 
much loss, without accomplishing his object. 

As further evidence of the cruelty and rashness of Cam- 
byses, we are informed that because his brother Smerdis 
succeeded in becoming quite efficient in drawing the Ethi- 
opian bow, he became jealous of him, and ordered Prex- 
aspes, one of his chief officers, to put him to death. 

This wicked king also compelled his own sister, whose 
name was Meroe, to become his wife. One day, in com- 
pany with her, he stood watching a fight between a young 
lion and a young dog ; the lion seemed to be getting the 
advantage of the dog, when another dog came to his assist- 
ance, and the lion was mastered. Cambyses was delighted 
with the scene ; but his sister, and unwilling wife, wept. 
He asked the reason of her tears ; and she, being forced to 
reply, said that the scene reminded her of the sad fate of 
her brother Smerdis, who had not been as fortunate in 
finding a friend as the little dog, for none came to assist 
him against his lion foe. This enraged Cambyses, and 
he eave her a blow which caused her death. 

He caused several of his principal men to be buried 
alive. At one time he obliged Prexaspes, who had killed 
Smerdis, to tell him what his Persian subjects thought and 
said of him ; when Prexaspes said : " They admire, sir, a 
great many excellent qualities they see in you ; but they 
are somewhat mortified at your immoderate use of wine." 
The king, being angry, replied : "They pretend that wine 



80 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



His son 
shot. 



Cowardice 
of his 
father. 



Croesus or- 
dered to be 
slain. 



Croesus 
spared. 



The result. 



Contrast to 
Cyrus. 

Cambyses 
leaves 

Egypt. 



Smerdis 

proclaimed 

king. 



deprives me of my reason. You shall be judge of that 
directly." He then began to drink excessively, more than 
ever before, until reason was overpowered entirely. Then 
he ordered the son of Prexaspes, who was his chief cup- 
bearer, to stand at the opposite side of the room, with his 
left hand upon his head, exposing his left side to the king. 
Cambyses then took his bow and shot an arrow, which 
pierced the young man's heart. This was not enough. 
He caused his side to be opened, and compelled the father 
to look upon the heart of his son which had been thus 
cruelly pierced, and insultingly asked if his hand was not 
steady enough ; and that father, with cringing fear, cow- 
ardly said, with tearless eyes : "Apollo himself could not 
have done better." 

Croesus, who still lived, took occasion to reprove Cam- 
byses for this conduct, and he immediately ordered him to 
be put to death. But those who were appointed to kill 
Croesus knew that the command had been hastily given, 
and that the impetuous king would regret, when his anger 
had abated, the death of one who had been so long re- 
spected in the government ; so they refused to execute 
the bloody decree. When Cambyses learned that Croesus 
was not dead, he said that he was glad he still lived ; but 
he would make his officers know that they must obey 
orders. He therefore caused them to be slain, because 
they had not killed Croesus, while he rejoiced that Croesus 
had been spared. 

The life of Cambyses was thus made up of such shame- 
ful transactions; and he was, as has been stated, "in 
strong contrast to the mild, genial Cyrus, his father." 

In the beginning of the eighth year of his reign, Cam- 
byses left Egypt to return to Persia, and when he arrived 
in Syria he found a messenger who had been sent from 
Persia to inform the people that Smerdis, the son of Cy- 
rus, had been proclaimed king. He knew that his brother 
Smerdis, and son of Cyrus, had been slain by his own or- 
der, and that this was a scheme to deprive him of the 
throne, and he trembled lest the plot had been successful, 



THE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE. 



81 



The 

circum- 
stances. 



Cambyses 
enraged. 



Fell upon 
his sword. 



Dies hav- 
ing reigned 
7y.&5mo. 

Magian 
usurper. 



Prexas- 
pes and his 
proclama- 
tion from 
the tower. 



His death. 

Smerdis 
slain. 

7 months 
reign. 



and he left without a throne. And a scheme had been 
devised and arranged, on this wise. 

The chief Magian, in whose hands he had left the affairs 
of the East, had a brother who resembled Smerdis, the 
son of Cyrus. When Cambyses put his brother Smerdis 
to death, the event was kept secret, as far as possible. 
But the chief Magian had, by some means, learned of the 
wicked and cruel act, and took advantage of the fact and 
circumstances, and caused his own brother, who so much 
resembled Smerdis, son of Cyrus, to be proclaimed king, 
in the name of Smerdis, in the absence of Cambyses. 

When, therefore, the proclamation reached the ears of 
Cambyses, he was so much excited that he hastily started 
for Persia ; but, in the attempt to mount his horse, he fell 
upon his sword, and received a wound which caused his 
death. 

He reigned seven years and five months. 

The Magian usurper was left in possession of the throne ; 
but soon an effort was made to investigate the legality of 
his position and to remove him, when his brother, the chief 
Magian, sought to establish him forever as the son of Cyrus. 
He therefore arranged with Prexaspes, who had killed the 
true Smerdis, to mount a tower and proclaim in the hearing 
of the people that the one then upon the throne was Smer- 
dis, the Son of Cyrus, and, therefore, legally in posses- 
sion of the sceptre. Having agreed to do thus Prexaspes 
took his position on the tower, and the people assembled to 
hear the important proclamation. 

But, to the surprise of the Magian, Prexaspes said : 
"With my own hand I slew Smerdis, the son of Cyrus, by 
order of Cambyses, and the one now upon the throne is an 
impostor." 

He then threw himself from the tower and broke his 
neck ; and Smerdis, the Magian imposter, was soon slain 
by conspirators, who had been planning his overthrow. 

He reigned only seven months.* His reign, together 
with that of Cambyses his predecessor, covered a period of 
eight years, during which time the Jews at Jerusalem were 



82 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Jews hin- 
dered 

by the Sa- 
maritans. 



Darius son 
of Hystas- 
pes upon 
the throne. 



Adjusts 
the affairs. 



Districts. 



Taxes. 



The Jews 
again hin- 
dered. 



Tatnai. 



and his 
course. 



hindered in their work of building the temple, which had 
been commenced in the days of Cyrus. 

The Samaritans, who were descendants of those idola- 
trous nations brought in from the East to people that land 
when the kingdom of Israel ended, as noticed in our first 
lecture — were bitter against the Jews, and opposed to allow- 
ing them to build up the temple and the city of Jerusalem, 
and they succeeded in influencing Cambyses, the successor 
of Cyrus, to stop their work ; and during his reign, and the 
reign of Smerdis, they were not allowed to proceed ; but 
were obliged to wait in sorrow until something should be 
done to favor their desire to complete the work. 

On the death of Smerdis the Magian, Darius, Son of 
Hystaspes, was by a peculiar stratagem exalted to the 
throne of Persia. 

As soon as he was settled upon the throne, he gave his 
attention to the adjustment of the affairs of the government, 
which had become very much disarranged during the reign 
of his predecessors. He divided the territory of the em- 
pire into twenty districts, and each of these districts com- 
prised several of the original provinces of the empire. He 
appointed a ruler in each district, to act under his dictation, 
and through them levied taxes upon the people for the 
purpose of improving the financial condition of the govern- 
ment. And he was so wise and judicious in the imposing 
of these taxes, that his subjects yielded to his demands 
without a murmur. 

In the second year of the reign of Darius Hystaspes, 
according to Jewish reckoning, the Jews having again at- 
tempted to carry forward the work upon the temple, the 
Samaritans made another effort against them, and applied 
to Tatnai the Persian ruler, who had been appointed by 
Darius in the district comprising the provinces of Syria 
and Palestine, to stop their work. 

Tatnai was a man of good judgment, and not easily 
excited to act rashly with respect to any matter ; he there- 
fore examined the work of the Jews carefully, and then 
asked the elders what license they had for commencing a 



THE ME DO- PERSIAN EMPIRE. 



83 



Records 
searched. 



Darius 
ratines and 
renews the 
decree. 



Tatnai 
enforces 
the decree. 



work of that character, and they referred him to the edict of 
Cyrus, as the authority by which they had engaged in the 
enterprise. Then Tatnai went to Darius the king and 
gave him a true representation of the Jews and their work, 
and of the authority which they claimed from the edict of 
Cyrus ; and Darius, having great respect for the noble king 
Cyrus, caused the records to be searched, and the edict of 
Cyrus was found registered at Ecbatana in Media. 

And, when Darius had read the edict as recorded, he said, 
"Now, therefore, Tatnai, Governor beyond the river, 
Let the work of this house of God alone : let the governor 
of the Jews, and the elders of the Jews, build this house 
of God in his place. Moreover, I make a decree what 
ye shall do to the elders of these Jews, for the building 
of this house of God : that of the king's goods, even 
of the tribute beyond the river, forthwith, expenses 
be given unto these men that they be not hindered. 
And that which they have need of, both young bullocks, 
and rams, and lambs, for burnt offerings of the God of 
heaven, wheat, salt, wine and oil, according to the appoint- 
ments of the priests which are at Jerusalem, let it be given 
them, day by day, without fail ; that they may offer sacri- 
fices of sweet savours unto the God of heaven, and pray for 
the life of the king and of his sons. 

"Also, I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter 
this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and 
being set up, let him be hanged thereon ; and let his house 
be made a dunghill for this. 

"And the God that hath caused his name to dwell there, 
destroy all kings and people that shall put to their hand to 
alter and to destroy this house of God which is at Jerusa- 
lem. I, Darius, have made a decree ; let it be done with 
speed." 

Tatnai returned to execute the king's orders, and the 
Jews were thus enabled to triumph over their enemies, 
and to finish their work ; having all their expenses 
met from the tribute money raised in the districts 
west of the river Euphrates. And the Samaritans 



84 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Helped by 
their ene- 
mies. 



who were tax-payers in that region, were obliged to see 
their money used for the purpose of promoting that zoork 
which they had so strenuously opposed, without any power 
to resist. 

The temple was completed in the sixth year of Darius' 
reign, and in the twenty-first year after the edict was given 
by Cyrus. 



Revolt in 
Babylon. 



Walls bro- 
ken down. 



Scythians. 



Interesting 
scene. 

A bundle 
of arrows. 



In the fifth year of the reign of Darius, the citizens of 
Babylon revolted against him, occasioning much trouble. 
Prior to this time the seat of empire had been moved to 
Susa, in Persia ; and now the Babylonians sought to throw 
off the Persian yoke. Darius laid siege to the city, and 
succeeded in taking it, at the end of one year and eight 
months ; and, as soon as he got possession of Babylon, he 
ordered the gates to be 'pulled down, and all the walls of 
that proud city to be entirely demolished, that it might 
no longer be in a condition to rebel against him. And so 
the work of desolation commenced, which resulted, finally, 
in its utter destruction, as we have seen in the first 
lecture. 

Having quelled the rebellion in Babylon, Darius de- 
clared his intentions to make war upon the Scythians. 

The Scythians were a wild, barbarous class of people, 
north of the Black and Caspian seas. They were nomadic, 
and had no cities, nor even houses, but roamed about over 
the country, living in wagons, which were covered with 
skins of beasts ; and their clothing was of the same mate- 
rial. There were many excellent characteristics about 
them, with all their savage barbarity. One of their kings 
was the occasion of the saying, "United we stand ; divided 
we fall." His name was Scylurus. When about to die, 
he called his sons around him, and gave to each of them, 
in their order, a bundle of arrows, tied closely together, 
and told them to break it. Each endeavored to do so, but 
failed. He then untied the bundle, and gave to each a 
single arrow, with instructions to break it, which was very 
easily done. Then he said : " Let this emblem be a lesson 



THE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE. 



85 



Darius ad- 
vised not to 
go against 
the ycyth- 
ians. 



A cruel act. 



Darius de- 
parts. 



Crosses the 
Bosphorus 
and 
Danube. 



Enters 
Scythia. 



to you, of the advantage that results from union and 
harmony." 

When l)arius resolved to advance upon these Scythians, 
his brother, Artabenes, advised him not to go, represent- 
ing that the expedition would prove disastrous to himself. 
But he was wilfully determined to engage in the enter- 
prise, and, therefore, planned his expedition. 

While the preparations were being made, an outra- 
geously cruel act was done by the king. Three young 
men were preparing to accompany him into Scythia. 
They were the sons of CEbasus, a venerable old man, who 
was highly respected in Susa. His heart was grieved in 
the prospect of being left alone, and he approached Darius 
and respectfully asked that one of his three sons might be 
left at home, to comfort him in his old age ; and that king 
heartlessly replied : " One will not be sufficient for you ; I 
will leave you all the three ; " and immediately caused 
them all to be put to death, and thus left three dead sons 
to comfort the aged father. 

Darius departed from Susa at the head of an army of 
seven hundred thousand men, and his fleet consisted of six 
hundred ships, manned principally by Ionians, and other 
Grecians who dwelt upon the sea-coast in Asia Minor. 

He marched his army directly across the country to the 
Thracian Bosphorus, which he crossed upon a bridge of 
boats. He conquered the Thracians, and then marched 
his army northward, and, crossing the river Danube upon 
a bridge of boats, he entered into the country of Scythia. 
His fleet met him at the mouth of the Danube, having 
sailed through the straits of the Hellespont, the sea of 
Marmora, and the straits of the Bosphorus, into the Black 
sea, while his land army was marching onward to the de- 
sired country of Scythian rule. 

As Darius with his forces advanced upon the inhab- 
itants of the North, the Scythians, having no cities or 
dwellings to defend, sent their families to the extreme 
North, that they might be protected from the enemy, and 
then prepared to operate against Darius, which was done, 



86 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Kept 
marching. 



Suffers. 
Enquiry. 



Reply. 



His army 
reduced. 



A peculiar 
present. 



Explana- 
tion. 



Returns to 
Persia. 



not by giving him battle and thus endeavoring to defeat 
him, but by roaming over the country and keeping just far 
enough in advance of Darius and his army to keep them 
constantly marching, without giving him an opportunity 
to come to an engagement. By this means, the army of 
the Persian ruler suffered much and accomplished nothing. 
Becoming wearied, at last, by their course, Darius sent a 
messenger to enquire why they did not stop and give him 
battle ; or, if they considered themselves too weak to en- 
counter him, why they did not acknowledge him as their 
master by presenting to him earth and water, which was a 
token of submission. The Scythian leader returned the 
following answer : — 

" If I fly before thee, Prince of the Persians, it is 
not because I fear thee. What I do now is no more than 
I do in times of peace. We, Scythians, have neither cities 
nor lands to defend. If thou hast a mind to force us to 
come to an engagement, come and attack the tombs of 
our fathers, and thou shalt find what manner of men 
we are." 

The army of Darius became very much reduced, on 
account of the great hardships to which his men were ex- 
posed ; and, when he had come to the last extremity and 
saw that he must return to his own country with but 
a fragment of an army, he received from the Scythian king 
a present of a bird, a mouse, a frog, and five arrows. 
The Persian king asked the meaning of these gifts ; but 
the messenger refused to explain. Darius tried to make 
it appear that bv these symbols the Scythians intended to 
represent that they had at last decided to submit to him as 
their master; but the joy produced by such a conclusion 
was soon destroyed, for Gobryas, one of the lords, being 
possessed of great skill, explained the enigma in the fol- 
lowing manner: "By these you are to know that unless 
you can fly aivay in the air like birds, or hide yourselves 
in the earth like mice, or swim in the water like frogs, you 
shall in no wise be able to avoid the arrows of the Scyth- 
ians." Soon after this event Darius returned to his own 



THE MEDO-PEBSIAN EMPIRE. 



87 



War 

against 
India. 



Declares 
war upon 
Grecia. 

The result 



Trouble in 
Egypt. 

He dies. 



Reigns 
36 years. 
Xerxes. 
Quells re- 
bellion in 
Egypt. 



Threatens 
Greece. 

Advice of 
his uncle. 



Not 
heeded. 



country, having, by his expedition against the Scythians, 
lost more than he had gained. 

In the thirteenth year of his reign, this Persian 
monarch began to prepare for an expedition into India, 
and finally advanced with his forces into that territory, 
where he was successful in bringing the Indian ruler, with 
his subjects, completely under his power. 

In the twenty-eighth year of the reign of Darius, 
his Grecian subjects in Asia Minor, having pursued a 
course for several years which was calculated to irritate 
and prejudice him against their countrymen, he declared 
war upon Greece and advanced his forces into that coun- 
try, and there followed the famous battle of Marathon, 
which resulted in victory to the Grecians instead the 
Persians. 

Darius was involved in trouble, not only because of his 
defeat in Grecia, but because of a rebellion in Egypt, 
which he was anxious to quell. But he died without 
accomplishing his design. 

The particulars concerning that battle of Marathon, and 
his Grecian expedition generally, we shall notice more 
fully in our next lecture. 

Darius, son of Hystaspes, reigned thirty-six years, 
and was succeeded by his son, Xerxes the Great. 

The first work of Xerxes, as he came upon the throne, 
was to quell the rebellion in Egypt. Encouraged by his 
success, he resolved to make war upon Greece, and de- 
clared, as he looked across to the Grecian peninsula, that 
he would "no more eat the figs of Attica," — a province 
of Greece of which Athens was the capital, — until he had 
"become possessed of that country." His uncle, Arta- 
banes, who had advised Darius his father not to go 
against the Scythians, used similar means to persuade him 
not to advance upon Greece. But, being as wilfully de- 
termined as his father had been before him, he scorned 
the advice of Artabanes and prepared for war. He was 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Xerxes 
wealth. 



People in 
the West. 



Assistance 

from 

Carthage. 

Amilcar 
general. 
His army 
in the in- 
terests of 
Xerxes. 



Xerxes 
starts from 
Susa. 



abundantly rich, and thereby enabled to secure all the 
assistance he required in this enterprise. 

At this time the earth had come to be peopled as far 
west as the continent of Europe extends, even to the 
shores of the Atlantic ocean. And Xerxes sent a large 
amount of money to the king of Carthage, who had great 
influence in the West, and requested his assistance against 
the Grecians. 

Amilcar was appointed general, and, with the means 
furnished by Xerxes, he raised a large army in the north of 
Africa, and in Hispania, now known as Spain, and Gallia, 
now known as France, and in Italy, to advance upon the 
Grecians from the west, in the interests of the Persian kingf. 

Xerxes started from Susa, in Persia, with a large army, 
under his own banner, and advanced up through the coun- 
try of Assyria ; crossed the rivers Tigris and Euphrates, 
and marched onward, at the head of his army, through 
the provinces of Asia Minor, receiving recruits all the way, 
until he arrived in Sardis, the capital of Lydia, where he 
found it necessary to spend the winter. 

Early in the Spring he advanced, with his army, toward 
the continent of Europe, while his fleets sailed around the 
coast of Asia Minor, to meet him at the Hellespont, across 
which he had ordered a pontoon bridge to be constructed, 
for the purpose of allowing his army to cross over into 
Europe. The bridge was builded ; but when he arrived 
at the Hellespont, he found that a severe storm had swept 
it away. Embarrassed and full of rage, he attempted to 
wreak his vengeance upon the Deity who, he supposed, 
existed in the elements, and who had dared to defy his 
imperial authority and obstruct his passage by destroying 
his bridge. He therefore commanded his soldiers to <nve 
the waters three hundred lashes with their whips. He 
thought he was whipping his god. Then he required four 
chains to be thrown into those waters, as if to chain the 
elements. After that, he gave orders that those who 
constructed the bridge should be put to death ; and 
then arranged for building two other bridges across the 



THE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE. 



89 



The 

bridges 
connect 
two conti- 
nents. 



Number of 
boats in 
each 
bridge. 



Further de- 
scription of 
the bridges 



Crossing 

the 

Hellespont. 



Hellespont, — one for his army, and the other for his 
baggage. 

CO c 

These bridges were extended across the straits of the 
Hellespont, from Asia to Europe, a distance of about one 
English mile, thus connecting the two continents for his 
convenience. 

The one on the north-eastern side, towards the sea of 
Marmora, was composed of three hundred and sixty boats, 
and the one on the south-western side, towards the iEgean 
sea, was composed of three hundred and fourteen boats. 

After stretching these boats across in a line from shore 
to shore, leaving three spaces for the passage of small 
boats to and from the Black sea, anchors were thrown out 
on each side to hold them in place. Then large piles were 
driven down on each bank, to which were attached large 
iron rings, and to those were fastened six stout cable- 
ropes, which were stretched over the entire length of both 
bridges, and, by their great strength, held them firmly to 
the banks. Two of these cables were made of hemp, and 
the four others of a sort of reeds which were used in those 
times for making cordage. "When this was done they 
placed upon the boats, over the cables, trunks of trees, 
and over all flat boats, which were fastened firmly to- 
gether, making a solid floor. Then, upon this foundation, 
earth was thrown and railings were builded on each side, 
and a way was prepared for the march of Xerxes and his 
army, with their heavily loaded wagons, across to the 
opposite shore. 

When these bridges were completed, a day was ap- 
pointed to commence the march ; and as soon as the early 
rays of the morning sun began to shine in from the east 
they began to move forward ; but that army was so great 
that seven days and seven nights were occupied in crossing 
the Hellespont. 



His united When Xerxes' armies from the East and the West were 

Numbers brought together, preparatory to advancing into the terri- 
them. tory of Greece, it was necessary to number the forces* In 



90 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



2,641,610 

fighting 

men. 



Altogether 
5,283,220. 



His pride. 



Surprise at 
Thermopy- 



Leonidas 
and his 
men. 



Xerxes in- 
disnant. 



order to accomplish this in the shortest time possible, he 
ranked ten thousand together as closely as they could be 
brought, and caused a circle to be marked around them, 
and upon that circle a wall was built to about half the 
height of a man's body. The whole army was then 
marched through this enclosure, allowing ten thousand for 
every time the circle was filled, until the number was suffi- 
ciently reduced to count them one by one ; and by this 
means his soldiers were numbered. 

His army consisted of two million, six hundred and 
forty one thousand, six hundred and ten (2,641,610) 
fighting: men, and all who were interested in that wonder- 
ful expedition against the Grecians, and in the interests of 
Xerxes, and followed with the regular army, swelled the 
number to five million, hvo hundred and eighty three thou- 
sand, tivo hundred and twenty (5,283,220). As Xerxes 
stood at the head of this immense army, ready to march 
down upon Greece, his soul was filled with pride at the 
thought of his achievement in massing such a host ; and he 
pleased himself that the people of that land would be awed 
into submission to him without offering any resistance, 
and that he would thus easily possess himself of their terri- 
tory and their wealth. 

But, to his surprise, when he came to the narrow pass of 
Thermopylae which was only twenty-five feet wide, and 
through which he thought to march his army into the heart 
of Greece, he was met by Leonid as, at the head of four 
thousand men, three hundred of whom were Spartans, who 
were prepared and determined to resist his effort to pass 
into their country. 

He was indignant that that little handful of men should 
dare to oppose him, with his mighty hosts. He waited 
four days before attempting to force a passage, because he 
thought it beneath his dignity to contend with such an 
inferior foe ; and he hoped to bribe their leader, and thus 
be saved the trouble of ranging his men in the order of 
battle against osdyfour thousand Greeks. But he failed 
to bring Leonidas and his men to terms, and at the end of 



THE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE. 



91 



Attempt to 
force his 
way. 
Resisted. 

20,000 de- 
stroyed. 



Traitor. 



Allies re- 
tire. 

Spartans 
slain. 



Xerxes' 
marches to 
Athens. 



Athens 
taken. 



Greeks at 
Salamis. 



Battle of 
Salamis. 



The result. 



four days he endeavored to force his passage ; and as he 
advanced upon them, Leonidas and his company of four 
thousand Grecians fought against him in defence of their 
country, until they succeeded in destroying about twenty 
thousand of Xerxes' soldiers ; and he would have been de- 
feated entirely but for the treachery of a citizen of the 
North, who turned traitor, and showed him a secret passage 
over the mountain, by which he succeeded in getting in the 
rear of Leonidas and his men. 

When Leonidas found himself surrounded, he gave his 
allies the privilege of retiring, and they went home, leav- 
ing him only his three hundred Spartans to operate against 
Xerxes ; but they fought until but one man remained 
alive, and he was thought by his countrymen to have dis- 
graced himself because his life was saved when the victory 
was not gained. We shall understand the reason of this 
more fully when we come to consider the subject of the 
next lecture. 

Xerxes having overpowered Leonidas, marched his 
forces toward Athens, when Themistocles, who was at 
the head of the Athenians, advised them to retire to the 
island of Salamis, and to leave the city entirely unoccu- 
pied. This was done ; and Xerxes tock possession of 
Athens without opposition. Then Themistocles caused 
secret advice to be conveyed to Xerxes concerning the 
the best means to conquer the Grecians, representing that 
there was danger of their becoming separated, and if he 
wished to destroy them he ought to advance upon them at 
once at Salamis. This advice was given in such a manner 
as to deceive him ; and he, supposing it to have come from 
his own trusted officers, heeded it, and advanced upon the 
Grecians as they awaited his approach on the island of 
Salamis, and then the famous battle of Salamis was fought. 

The Grecians were victorious. Xerxes' army was cut 
to pieces, and he was forced to flee before the enemy. 

With only a fragment of his once mighty army, he 
hastily retreated towards his own land. He was forty-five 
days marching backward to the Hellespont ; and as he drew 



92 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Recrosses 
the Helles- 
pont. 



Contrast. 



Shame and 
disgrace. 



Jewsbury. 



The poetic 
description 



near to that narrow channel which separated him from his 
own dominion he hastened more rapidly, fearing that his 
bridge of boats might have been washed away, as he hoped 
to pass over it into Asia. When he arrived upon the 
western bank he found his fears realized — his bridge luas 
gone ; and there being no other way he embarked in a little 
boat, with only two or three officers in attendance, and was 
obliged thus to recross those waters over which he had 
proudly marched upon his bridge at the head of his millions 
but a few weeks before. 

He who had mercilessly lashed those waves, and indig- 
nantly sought to chain their force, came in weakness to be 
tossed about upon them, as in his little bark he eagerly 
sought the opposite shore. 

In shame and disgrace he stepped at last upon the soil 
of his own realm, a wiser, if not a better man. 

Jewsbury has graphically described this expedition of 
Xerxes against the Grecians, in poetic language, represent- 
ing him first in dignity and power at the head of his num- 
erous forces advancing upon the Greeks ; and then in 
weakness, shamefully retreating to his own country. 

We quote this poem, that the climax in this description 
of Xerxes and his Grecian expedition may be reached. 
Jewsbury says : — 



" I saw him on the battle-eve, 

When, like a king, he bore him ; 
Proud hosts in glittering helm and greave, 

And prouder chiefs before him ; 
The warrior, and the warrior's deeds, 
The morrow, and the morrow's meeds, 

No daunting thoughts came o'er him; 
He looked around him, and his eye 
Defiance flashed, to earth and sky. 



He looked on ocean — its broad breast 

Was covered with his fleet ; 
On earth — and saw, from east to west, 

His bannered millions meet; 
While rock, and glen, and cave, and coast 
Shook with the war-cry of that host — 

The thunder of their feet ! 



THE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE. 



93 



He heard the imperial echoes ring : 
He heard — and felt himself a king ! 
********* 

I saw him next alone : nor camp, 
Nor chief, his steps attended : 

Nor banners blazed, nor courser's tramp 
With war-cries proudly blended : 

He stood alone, whom fortune high 

So lately seemed to deify. 

He who with Heaven contended, 

Fled like a fugitive, a slave ! 

Behind — the foe ; before — the wave ! 

He stood ; fleet, army, treasure, gone ; 

Alone, and in despair ! 
But waves and winds swept ruthless on, 

For they were monarchs there ; 
And Xerxes, in a single baric, 
Where late his thousand ships were dark, 

Must all their fury dare : 
What a revenge, — a trophy, this, 
For thee, — immortal Salamis !" 



Xerxes 
discour- 
aged. 

Seeks for 
pleasure. 
Murdered. 



Reigned 12 
years. 
Succeeded 
by Arta- 
xerxes 

Facts of 
peculiar 
interest 
in Xerxes' 
reign. 



Vashti and 
Esther. 



Important 
notice. 



The failure of Xerxes in this effort against the Gre- 
cians discouraged him, and he gave up all thoughts of war 
and conquest, and devoted the remainder of his life to the 
enjoyment of ease and pleasure. He was finally murdered 
in his bed-chamber by one of his favorite captains, who 
conspired against him. 

He reigned twelve years, and was succeeded by his son, 
Artaxerxes Loxgimanus. 

Before referring to his successor, we purpose to notice 
some additional facts of peculiar interest which are quite 
familiar to us, and are connected with Xerxes and his life. 

He was doubtless the Ahasuerus of the Book of Esther, 
who divorced his wife Yashti, and finally received Esther, 
the JeAvess, into his royal palace, and made her his queen. 

Commentators have been somewhat divided in their 
opinions concerning this matter ; because they have consid- 
ered the name, Ahasuerus, to have been a title common to 
all the Persian kings. But if other kings of Persia beside 
him have borne this name, they are all mentioned in the 
Scriptures by their own names ; or are so definitely pointed 



94 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Ahasuerus 
same as 
Xerxes. 



Haman. 



Glory of 
the Empire 
passed 



Artaxer- 
xes. 



7th year. 

Esdras' 
commis- 
sion. 



20th year. 
Decree. 



out that it is easy to understand who were meant ; hut- 
Xerxes, if mentioned at all, is only mentioned by this 
name, Ahasuerus; and, beside, "the Hebrew word for 
Ahasuerus is readily formed from the Persian name of 
Xerxes ; the name Xerxes being only a Greek corruption 
of the Persian name which he bore." 

Xerxes, or Ahasuerus, divorced his wife, Vashti, in the 
year j)revious to his invasion of Greece, on the occasion of 
a great assembly ; and in the year after his return from 
that expedition to Grecia, and four years after he divorced 
Vashti, he married Hadassah, the cousin and adopted 
daughter of Mordecai, the Jewess, who is more often called 
by her Persian name, Esther. 

In the twelfth and last year of Xerxes' reign, Hainan's 
work against Mordecai and the Jews was performed, which 
resulted, so contrary to his designs, in the destruction of 
himself and all his sons, who were the last fragment of the 
Amalekite nation, which thus il perished forever ," in fulfill- 
ment of God's prophetic word, which we find recorded in 
Numbers 24 : 20. 

As we have already passed the time of the glory of this 
Second Universal Empire, and have seen premonitions 
of its decline, it will only be necessary to refer briefly to 
the remaining kings, in their order, and to give the length 
of the reign of each, for the purpose of presenting a clear 
outline of its history to the end. 

Artaxeexes Longimanus, who succeeded Xerxes the 
Great in the throne of this empire, was surnamed Longi- 
manus, because he had extremely long hands and arms. 

In the seventh year of the reign of this Artaxerxes, Es- 
dras, — a learned and devoted Jew, who possessed an 
extensive knowledge of the Hebrew Scriptures, — obtained 
a commission from the King of Persia to return to Jerusa- 
lem with as many Jews as were willing to follow him, to 
settle and arrange the Jewish government according to the 
laws of Moses. 

In the twentieth year of his reign, Artaxerxes decreed 
that the walls and gates of Jerusalem should be rebuilt, 



TEE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE. 



95 



Reigned 
48 years. 

Xerxes II. 
reigns 45 
days. 



Sogdianus. 



Reigns 
6 months 
15 days. 

Darius 
Nothus. 



Reigns 
19 years. 



Artaxer- 
xes Mne- 
mon. 

Reigns 
43 years. 
Artaxer- 
xes Ochus. 



Reigns 
23 years. 



and lie appointed Nehemiah, a distinguished Jew of upright 
character and rare ability, who was one of his cup-bearers, 
to be the governor of Judea, and to enforce the decree, 
furnishing him with all things necessary to accomplish the 
work. 

This long-handed Persian king died at the commence- 
. ment of the forty-ninth year of his reign, having tilled the 
throne forty-eight full years. 

His son, Xerxes II., succeeded to the throne; but he 
reigned only forty-five days, when he was killed by one 
who aspired to the imperial seat. 

Sogdianus, who was guilty of the blood of Xerxes II., 
succeeded in taking possession of the throne ; but he had 
reigned only six months and fifteen days when he was 
murdered by one who failed, after all, to take possession of 
the throne. Then, after some delay, Ochus, or Darius 
Nothus, mounted the throne, to sway the sceptre of the 
empire. He was the father of "Cyrus the Younger," 
whose name is familiar to readers of history, and under 
whom Xenophon, the historian, served as a soldier. 

Darius Xothus reigned nineteen years, and was fol- 
lowed by Arsases, his eldest son, who, as he ascended the 
throne, assumed the name of Artaxerxes, and the Greeks 
surnamed Mm Mnemon, which signifies one of great mem- 
ory, as he had a most wonderfully retentive memory. He 
is therefore called in history Artaxerxes Mnemon. 

He reigned forty-three years, and was succeeded by 
Artaxerxes Ochus, who is said to have been the most 
cruel and wicked of all the princes of his race. He 
caused his own sister, whose name was Ocha, to be buried 
alive; and he shut up one of his uncles, with one hundred 
other people, in a court of his palace, and ordered them 
all to be shot with arrows, simply because they were 
highly esteemed by the Persians for their integrity and 
courage. 

He reigned in his cruelty twenty-three years, when he 
was murdered by Bagoas, an eunuch, who poisoned him ; 
and, on his death, Arses, his youngest son, was exalted 



96 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Arses 
reigns 
3 years- 



Darius Co- 
domanus. 

Reigns 
6 years. 
Alexander 
the Great. 



Period of 
208 years. 



Chronol- 
ogy- 



Story told. 



Sayings of 
the poet. 



to the throne, under these very unfavorable circumstances. 
Arses reigned only three years, when he was murdered 
by Bagoas, who had poisoned Ochus, and thus placed 
Arses upon the throne ; and then, — 

Darius Codomanus, the last king of Persia, was ex- 
alted to the head of the empire, at the age of forty-four 
years. He reigned six years, and then was overpowered 
by Alexander the Great, who broke down the Medo- 
Persian empire, and established the Grecian, the Third 
Universal Empire of the World, upon its ruins. 

The history of the Medo-Persian empire thus given, 
covers a period of two hundred and eight years, from its 
establishment by Darius the Mede and Cyrus the Per- 
sian to the death of Darius Codomanus, the thirteenth 
king, who closed the history of the empire with his 
death. 

According to the chronology of Bishop Usher, this 
empire was consolidated in 538 B.C., and its history 
closed in 330 B. C. ; but according to what we consider 
to be a more reliable chronology, it was erected into a 
consolidated empire in 490 B. C, and its history ended in 
282 B.C. 

Thus the story of the Medes and Persians is told ; and 
they who had triumphed in victory over the Babylonians 
but a few years before, came themselves to bow under the 
victorious banner of their Grecian foe. 

Well might the poet say, as he saw the Medo-Persian 
banners waving in victory upon the walls of Babylon, and 
described the wonderful scene, and then turned to see the 
Grecian emblems of victory blazing upon the walls of the 
conquered cities of the Medes and Persians, — " the con- 
quered conquerors " — 

"But a few brief years soon sped away, 
And the Medes and the Persians, where are they? 
Time's stream swept on with resistless flow, 
And the victors and vanquished alike lay low." 

Having now given the history of this Second Univer- 
sal Empire, Ave purpose- to notice some of the prophetic 



THE ME DO-PERSIAN EMPIRE. 



97 



Prophetic 
declara- 
tions noted 



Represent- 
ed in 
symbol. 



1st; breast 
and arms. 



This 

symbol 

applied. 



Daniel's 
vision. 



4 beasts. 



The bear. 



This 

symbol 

applied. 



representations and declarations of the Word of God, 
concerning the principal events which occurred during the 
years of its existence, that we may realize the fulfilment 
of the prophecy. 

This Great Empire was represented in symbol about 
sixty-eight years before it was established. 

In the first symbolic representation which God gave of 
human governments, as he caused that metallic image 
which we have represented upon our chart to stand be- 
fore Nebuchadnezzar in his dream, the breast and arms are 
of silver; and, in giving an interpretation of it, Daniel 
said to the Babylonian ruler, whose kingdom was repre- 
sented by the head of gold: "After thee shall come an- 
other kingdom inferior to thee." The breast and arms of 
silver, therefore, symbolized this other and inferior king- 
dom, — the Medo-Persian, — which was to come after him, 
and his Babylonian empire. This part of the image was 
an appropriate symbol to represent the Medo-Persian em- 
pire which followed the Babylonian. The arms of this 
image represent the two nations, — the Medes and Per- 
sians. And as upon the chart the arms are folded 
together across the breast, so these two nations were 
united, as the history has shown us, to constitute the one 
Medo-Persian empire. In Daniel's own vision, — to which 
we have previously referred, which is described in the 
seventh chapter of the book which bears his name, he saw 
those four beasts, so peculiar and unlike any real animals 
(which we have also represented upon the chart) , — we have 
another line of symbolic representations ; and one of those 
beasts belongs especially to this empire, as its symbol. 
That one is " The bear, with three ribs in his mouth." 
This beast came up to foreshadow this empire. 

It was the second beast, as this was the Second Univer- 
sal Empire that should arise, according to the prophecy ; 
and did arise, according to the history. The only explan- 
ation which Daniel received of the meaning of three of 
those four beasts was, simply, that they signified so many 
Jcingdoms which should arise, in the order in which he saw 



98 THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES-. 

the beasts come up ; hut we know enough about them to 
understand the meaning of them, and that this second 
beast, the bear, represents the Second Empire. This 
beast has some peculiarities which are significant of some 
events in this government it represents, which we purpose 
to notice after having considered some other matters that 
first claim our attention. 
Daniel's 2d As was mentioned in our previous lecture, Daniel had 

vision 

another vision, in the third year of Belshazzar, king of 
Babylon, which is recorded in the eighth chapter of Dan- 
iel. This second vision now demands our attention ; and 
that we may properly investigate the subject, we will 
again notice the description, as given by the prophet : — 

"And I saw in a vision, and it came to pass, when I 
saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the 
province of Elam ; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the 
river of Ulai. 

" Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold, 
there stood before the river a ram which had two horns ; 
and the two horns were high ; but one was higher than the 
other, and the higher came up last. 

" I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and 
southward ; so that no beasts might stand before him, 
neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand ; 
but he did according to his will, and became great. 

"And as I was considering, behold, an he goat came 
from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched 
not the ground ; and the goat had a notable horn between 
his eyes. 

"And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I 
had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in 
the fury of his power. 

" And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was 
moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and 
brake his two horns ; and there was no power in the ram 
to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, 
and stamped upon him ; and there was none that could 
deliver the ram out of his hand. 



THE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE. 



99 



Seeks to 
under- 
stand it. 



Explana- 
tion. 



Pushing 
west, north 
and south. 



The horns 
one higher 
than the 
other. 



Media, 

first. 



"Therefore, the he-goat waxed very great; and when 
he was strong, the great horn was broken ; and for it, 
came up four notable ones toward the four winds of 
heaven. 

' ' And out of one of them came forth a little horn , 
which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and 
toward the east, and [toward] the pleasant land." — 
(Dan. 8:2-9.) 

When Daniel had seen this wonderful vision, he sought 
to know its meaning, and Gabriel was commissioned to 
make him understand it ; and, with angelic ability, in- 
spired by the Spirit of God, he unfolded the mystery of 
each beast, in its peculiarity and order ; and the first of 
them sustains a symbolic relation to this Medo-Persian 
empire, whose history we have traced in this lecture ; in 
proof of which we read in the twentieth verse of this eighth 
chapter : ' ' The ram which thou sawest having two horns 
are the kings of Media and Persia." 

This is a positive statement, and so clearly made that a 
child can comprehend it. 

The ram with his two horns symbolized the Medo- 
Persian empire ; the ram itself represented the consoli- 
dated empire ; and his two horns the Medes and Persians, 
who were consolidated into the empire. 

How significant is this symbol ! The ram, standing by 
the Persian river Ulai, near to the city which came at last to 
be the grand capital of this Easteen Empiee, "pushing," 
in his strength, "toward the West, and toward the North, 
and toward the South," is used to represent the Universal 
Empire of the Medes and Persians established in its 
strength and glory. And the two horns of the ram, both 
high and one higher than the other, and the higher one 
coming up last, are remarkably significant of the Medes 
and Persians in both their separated and consolidated 
state. 

The Median kings, represented by the first horn, com- 
menced their history some time before there was any ruler 
in Persia, as we have noticed in the history ; but after a 



100 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Persia last. 



Median 
element 
Persian- 
ized. 

Persian 
horn the 
longest. 

Plain 
statements 
of proph- 
ecy. 



The 

pre-named 

man. 

Cyrus. 

His work 
foretold. 



A full 
history of 
Cyrus be- 
cause of his 
marvellous 
character. 

God named 
Cyrus be- 
cause of his 
work. 



time a king was established upon the throne in that coun- 
try, and a line of kings, represented by the second horn, 
succeeded to the Persian throne, running parallel in their 
reign with the kings of Media, until the two nations united 
and formed the great empire bearing the names of both, 
with Darius the Median and Cyrus the Persian together 
upon the throne ; and this empire was called the Medo- 
Persian. But, in a little time, the Median king, Darius, 
died, and left the Persian, Cyrus, upon the throne ; and, 
though this empire continued for a time to be known as 
the Medo-Persian, it was not long before the Median ele- 
ment became so thoroughly Persianized, that the empire 
was called the Persian Empire for many years before its 
history closed ; and the Persian horn (kingdom) , which 
" came up last," continued the longest. 

Having noticed the prophetic symbols relating to this 
empire, we now call attention to some of the plain, direct 
statements of prophecy, which were made concerning the 
events of its history, many years before those events 
transpired. 

As we stated in our first lecture, concerning the fall of 
Babylon, God called the man who should take that proud 
city by name, and mapped out his work before him, more 
than one hundred years before he was born. 

That before-named man was Cyrus, the Persian, who 
had opened before him the two-leaved gates, and who 
overpowered the Babylonians, and established, with his 
uncle, Darius the Median, this Medo-Persian empire. 

In this lecture we have given a very full history of Cy- 
rus, from his birth to his death ; and have done this 
because he was a great, good man, and his work was of 
a marvellous character. 

Cyrus ! God-given name, — we speak it in awe ; then 
eagerly, but solemnly, proceed to examine his pre-de- 
scribed work. If God named him, he had work for him 
to do ; and, bearing the name, he did the work, some part 
of which we have noticed in our previous lecture, as it re- 
lated to the subject of that lecture. 



THE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE. 



101 



Isa. 44 : 28. 

Cyrus the 
shepherd. 



The decree 
to build 
Jerusalem. 



Cyrus 
did his 
appointed 
work. 



Edict is 
sued in the 
1st year of 
his reign. 

42,360 Jews 
and 7,337 
servants 
goto 
Jerusalem. 



Statements 
concerning 
Cyrus' suc- 
cessors. 

Daniel's 
vision. 

Time when 
he saw it. 



3 kings to 
stand up ; 
the fourth 
richer than 
all. 

Stir up all 
against 
Grecia. 



We now notice some things which apply particularly to 
the subject of this lecture. In Isa. 44 : 28, we read : " I 
am the Lord ; . . . that saith of Cyrus, He is my shep- 
herd, and shall perform all my pleasure ; even saying to 
Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built, and to the temple, Thy 
foundation shall be laid." 

When God named Cyrus, more than one hundred years 
before he was born, he thus foretold his work. But did 
Cyrus do that work ? History has answered the question ; 
for when Cyrus came to stand at the head of the Medo- 
Persian Empire alone, his first work was to " perform the 
pleasure" of God, as the prophecy declares he would; 
therefore, in the first year of his reign, after the death of 
Darius, he issued that famous edict, as we have noticed, 
in which he said " to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built ; and 
to the temple, Thy foundation shalt be laid." And forty- 
two thousand three hundred and sixty Jews, with seven 
thousand three hundred and thirty-seven servants, were 
sent to do the work ; and Cyrus, as though moved by 
an unseen power, thus filled the prophetic mould com- 
pletely. 

We now proceed to notice some statements of prophecy 
concerning the successors of Cyrus in this empire, as re- 
corded in the eleventh chapter of Daniel. 

" In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia," Daniel 
had a very wonderful vision, and he " set " his " heart to 
understand it ; " and in response to his earnest entreaties, 
one who was intimately acquainted with Michael came 
and said to him, as recorded in Dan. 11 : 2, "Now will I 
show thee the truth ; " and having thus pledged himself to 
tell the truth, he proceeded to make plain the vision, the 
first part of which applied to the Persian kings and the 
immediate successors of Cyrus, thus presenting the first 
links in a prophetic chain which extends even beyond our 
present time. That speaker then said: "Behold there 
shall stand up yet three kings in Persia ; and the fourth 
shall be far richer than they all ; and by his strength and 
through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm 



102 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



The three. 

Cambyses. 

Smerdis. 

Darius 
Hystaspes. 



That 

fourth, 

Xerxes. 

His riches. 



Xerxes' 
boast. 



Sent 

money to 
Carthage. 



of Grecia." In these words we have four of Cyrus' suc- 
cessors mentioned, and a particular description is given of 
the fourth, and that, too, when Cyrus himself was upon 
the throne in Persia, even in the third year of his reign. 
Now we have only to refer to the historical facts, which 
we have already related, to realize the remarkable fulfill- 
ment of this prophecy. 

' ' There shall stand up yet three kings in Persia " is the 
first prophetic declaration made by the Angel-speaker ; 
and history has informed us that Cyrus, who was then 
king of Persia, was succeeded by his son Cambyses, and 
that Cambyses left the throne to Smerdis the Magian, 
and that Smerdis was followed by Darius, the son of 
Hystaspes ; and thus that < ' three kings stood up in 
Persia," succeeding Cyrus, according to the prophecy. 

"And the fourth shall be far richer than they all," is 
the next prophetic statement made to Daniel, that seeker 
after truth. 

And history has further acquainted us with the fact that 
a fourth king came, answering the description of the pro- 
phetic language ; for Darius, son of Hystaspes, the third 
king from Cyrus, was succeeded by "the fourth" Xerxes 
the Great, who was noted for his great wealth. He was 
"far richer than they all." " And," continues the inspired 
speaker, " by his strength and through his riches, he shall 
stir up all against the realm of Grecia." How wonderfully 
impressive is this language of the prophet concerning that 
fourth king, when we recall the fact that the great event 
of Xerxes' reign was his wonderful expedition against the 
Grecians, when, "by his strength and through his riches," 
he did emphatically "stir up all against the realm of Gre- 
cia" We remember that Xerxes, soon after his accession 
to the throne of Persia, declared, with pompous air, his 
intention to possess himself of Greece ; and that, of his 
abundant wealth he sent money over to the king of Car- 
thage, soliciting his assistance against the Grecians ; and 
that that king, with the means furnished by Xerves, hav- 
ing appointed Amilicar general, raised a large army from 



THE MEDO-PERSIAN EMPIRE. 



103 



A remark- 
able fulfill- 
ment of 

prophecy. 



The proph- 
ecy does 
not predict 
success a- 
gainst Gre- 
cia only 
Xerxes 
should 
"stir up 
all"against 
"it." 



Xerxes 
marries 
Esther. 

Haman 

and his 
plot. 



the North of Africa, Hispania, Gallia and Italy, and from 
all the regions of the West, in the interests of Xerxes 
against Greece ; ■while Xerxes himself, under his own ban- 
ner, raised another large army in the East, and marched 
from Susa, the capital of Persia, receiving recruits all the 
way, until he crossed the Hellespont into Europe, where 
he united all his forces from the East and West, and ad- 
vanced upon the little territory of Greece, which seemed 
destined to come into his possession, and its inhabitants to 
be destroyed forever ; for Xerxes had, by his power and 
wealth, succeeded in influencing all nations in his own 
favor and against them ; until, as we have seen, his forces 
numbered two million six hundred and forty-one thousand 
six hundred and ten (2,641,610) ; and all, who were 
stirred up, and excited to see this expedition and to add 
to the glory of Xerxes, and who left their homes to accom- 
pany his Royal Highness into the coveted land, swelled 
the number to five million two hundred and eighty-three 
thousand two hundred and twenty (5,283,220). Thus, 
in harmony with the prophecy, "7ie," the fourth king, 
"stirred up all against the realm of Grecia." 

What a remarkable fulfillment of God's prophetic word ! 
Xone but the God whose throne is from everlasting to 
everlasting, and whose knowledge is infinite, could have 
caused these events to have been so graphically described 
so long before they occurred. 

The prophecy does not represent that this fourth king 
should be successful in his effort to overpower Greece, but 
only that he should ' ' stir up all against " that ' ' realm ; * 
and, therefore, he accomplished his prophetic mission and 
then suffered a shameful defeat, and returned to his own 
land, where, ambitionless concerning war and conquest, 
he gave himself up to the enjoyment of pleasure. He mar- 
ried Esther the Jewess, the adopted daughter of Mordecai, 
and afterwards heeded the calumnious representation of 
Haman, and allowed a decree to be made by which all the 
Jews in his realm were to be destroyed ; and then, when 
the calumny of Haman was discovered, he caused that 



104 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



He and his 
ten sons 
destroyed. 



Seven 
Kinsrs suc- 
ceed Xer- 
xes not in 
prophecy. 



God's 

method of 
selecting 
most im- 
portant 
events as 
matters of 
prophecy. 



God's 

prophetic 

guide. 



Travellers' 
guide. 

Too much 
detail con- 
fuses. 



The Bear. 



Its peculiar 
characters. 



Raises on 
one side. 

The three 
ribs. 



proud Amalekite, with his ten sons, to be hung, even upon 
the gallows which had been prepared for the Jew, Morde- 
cai, and thus destroyed the last fragment of the Agagite, 
or Amalekite nation, as we have seen. 

Seven other kings after Xerxes succeeded to the throne 
in Persia, but their history was not of sufficient importance 
to have been prophetically described ; for God only moved 
his prophets to speak of the most striking and important 
events which should occur in the history of these great 
empires. We are forcibly impressed on this account, 
when we compare the prophecy with the history ; for in 
describing history we mention many events which only 
serve to connect those of greater moment, and are of 
lesser importance, although they are thus connecting 
links ; but in considering the prophecy, we find these minor 
events left out of notice, and only those of special import- 
ance described. 

If God, in preparing a Prophetic Guide for his people, 
had described every event, small and great, it would have 
required so many volumes to represent the whole, that the 
Guide would have been made comparatively useless ; just 
as a Travellers' Guide would be rendered useless if the 
author should stop to describe every farmyard, garden and 
rivulet ; for then his book would become so voluminous 
that the traveller would get wearied by carrying it ; or in 
perusing it to find a description of what was mainly of in- 
terest to him, he would throw it away in disgust. We 
therefore appreciate God's wisdom in his prophetic arrange- 
ments. 

Now we purpose to refer back for a few moments to the 
second prophetic symbol, by which this empire was repre- 
sented, — to " the bear with three ribs in its mouth" (Dan. 
7:5), and to call attention, as promised, to some of its 
peculiar characteristics, significant of events which could 
not have properly been introduced before. 

This bear is described as raising itself up, on one side 
(or, as the margin reads, " it raised up one dominion"), 
and as having three ribs in its mouth, between its teeth, 



THE ME DO-PEES IAN EMPIRE. 



105 



What they 
say. 



Bear 
raised up 
ononeside^ 

Median and 

Persian 

side. 



Arise and 
devour. 



The 3 ribs 
first de- 
voured. 



and it is said that they (the ribs) said unto it : " Arise, 
devour much flesh ! " 

As we have noticed, this bear symbolized the Second 
Universal Empire of the world, which was this Medo- 
Persian empire, and the fact that the bear is represented 
as raising itself up on one side, is significant of this do- 
minion, with a Median and a Persian side ; with a Median 
side most conspicuous at first, and the Persian side, rising 
up to become finally more prominent in its history. 

And the three ribs are significant of other features of 
interest in the history of this empire. 

If the bear itself represented, in symbol, the great em- 
pire and nation of the Medes and Persians, those three ribs, 
which are only a fragment of a beast, must have repre- 
sented a fragment of a government or nation ; and they 
being held in the teeth of the bear, signify a fragment of a 
nation in the dominion and power of this great empire, 
and in a position to be as easily devoured by it, as the ribs 
could he devoured by the bear. "They," [the ribs] said 
to the bear, "Arise, devour much flesh;" so this fragment 
of a nation must say to this empire, or to him who stands 
at the head of it, "Arise, devour much flesh;" or cause 
a great destruction of life. 

We have but to refer to the reign of Xerxes the Great, 
to find the events thus represented ; for he stood at the 
head of this Medo-Persian empire symbolized by the bear, 
when, as we noticed, a fragment of the Amalekite nation, 
which existed under his power, became as prominent as 
the ribs in the symbol, when Haman said to Xerxes, 
"Arise, devour much flesh ;" in other words, when he pre- 
vailed upon that king to make the cruel decree which in- 
volved the destruction of all the Jews in his empire. But, 
as the bear would not be likely to devour much flesh, until 
he had first devoured that which he had already between 
his teeth, so, though the bloody decree was published and 
sealed with the king's signet, Haman and his ten sons 
were the first to be devoured; and were, consequently, 
hanged upon the gallows which had been prepared for Mor- 



106 THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 

decai, and the last fragment of that cursed Amalekite race 
was destroyed. "And they who said devour were 
themselves devoured." 

And thus have God's prophetic representations been ful- 
filled in every particular ; and we are filled with wonder, 
and adore the great God of the Universe as we contem- 
plate his work ; and we exclaim as we close this lecture : 
" O Lord, how manifold are thy works !" 
"With stately grandeur the poet Cowper sings, in words 
that ring like a trumpet blast, the awe-inspiring truth, 
that, — 

" God moves in a mysterious way 
His wonders to perform : 
He plants his footsteps in the sea 
And rides upon the storm. 

Deep in unfathomable mines 

Of never failing skill, 
He treasures up his bright designs, 

And works his sovereign will." 



LECTURE in. 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



Introduc- 
tion. 



Origin of 
the Gre- 
cians. 



Javan and 
Ion. 



How 
formed. 



Corre- 
spond with 
Ivan and 
John. 
Origin of 
the name 
Grecia. 



Not used 
by Homer. 
Universal- 
ly adopted. 

Bounda- 
ries of 
Greece. 



The subject of this lecture is, The History of the 
Grecian Empire, — the third Universal Empire of the 
World. In giving its history it will be necessary to go back 
to the earliest records of the Greeks, and note the events of 
interest in connection with their early history, that we may 
better appreciate their position when they came to stand as 
the foundation and structure of the third great empire 
or the world's history. 

The Grecians, as stated in our first lecture, were de- 
scendants of Javan, the fourth son of Japheth, and grand- 
son of Noah, who settled south of the country now known 
as Turkey in Europe ; and in the territory occupied by 
modern Greeks. Javan was also called Ion, because the 
Hebrew letters forming that name, when used with differ- 
ent vowel points, form the name Ion, and therefore his 
descendants were sometimes called Ionians, and we also 
get the name Ionian Sea from his name Ion. 

These names, Javan and Ion, correspond with the Rus- 
sian name Ivan, and the English name John. 

The descendants of Javan came to be called Grecians, 
and their country Grecia, or Greece, according Pliny, 
from the name of an ancient king, which a very uncertain 
tradition has preserved. Homer does not once use the 
name in his Virgil, but it has come to be almost univer- 
sally adopted with reference to that people and country. 

The ancient country of the Grecians was bounded on the 
North by Illyria and Thrace (these countries now being 



108 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Location of 
the differ- 
ent constit- 
uencies. 



Grecian 

isles. 



4 sons of 
Javan. 



Their 

names and 
location. 



Dialects. 



History di- 
vided into 
4 periods. 



1st period. 



absorbed in the Ottoman Empire), on the East by the 
-ZEgean sea, on the South by the Mediterranean sea, and 
on the West by the Ionian and Adriatic seas. 

Ancient Greece was divided into five constituent parts, 
namely : Epirus, Peloponnesus, Greece proper, Thes- 
saly, and Macedonia. 

Epirus was located in the west, and was separated from 
Thessaly and Macedonia by Mount Pindus and the Acro- 
ceraunian mountains. Peloponnesus was a peninsula at 
the south, and joined to the rest of Greece by the isthmus 
of Corinth, which is six miles wide. Greece proper was 
located directly north of Peloponnesus ; Thessaly and 
Macedonia still north of that. Beside these divisions, 
there were a large number of islands in the immediate 
vicinity of Greece which were known as the Grecian isles. 
They are of considerable account in the history of this 
government. 

Javan, from whom the Grecians descended, had four 
sons, who settled in these different constituent divisions, 
and became the heads and founders of the different 
branches and tribes of the Grecian nation. 

Elisha, his eldest son, settled in the Peloponnesus. 
Tarsis, the second son, settled in Greece proper ; Chit- 
tim, the third son, settled in Macedonia ; and Dodanim, 
the fourth, with his descendants, in Thessaly and Epirus. 
Being thus located they became separated from each other, 
and their language was soon corrupted into four distinct 
dialects, known as the Attic, the Ionic, the Doric, and the 
uEolic ; and all who study the Greek language to-day come 
in contact with these different dialects. 

Grecian history has been divided, for convenience, into 
four periods. The first period commences with the found- 
ing of the first petty kingdoms ; but a kingdom at that 
time was a small affair, the name being often given to the 
government of a single city. The first period of Grecian 
history, commences with the founding of these petty king- 
doms, and extends to the siege of Troy, covering a period of 
one thousand years, from A.M. 1820, to A.M. 2820. 



THE GBECIAN EMPIRE. 



109 



2d period. 



3d period. 



4th period. 



Subject not 
exhausted. 



Proposi- 
tion. 



But little 
known of 
their his- 
tory. 



Supersti- 
tion. 



Siege of 
Troy. 

Paris. 



Venus. 



The second period of Grecian history, commences with 
the close of the siege of Troy, and extends to the reign of 
the Persian king Darius, son of Hystaspes, at which time 
Grecian history becomes intermixed with that of the Per- 
sians. This period covers a term of six hundred and 
sixty-three years, and extends to A. M. 3483. 

The third period of Grecian history, commences with the 
reign of Darius, the son of Hystaspes, and extends to the 
death of Alexander the Great, and includes the finest part 
of Grecian history, and covers a period of one hundred 
and ninety-eight years, and extends to A. M. 3681. 

The fourth and last period of Grecian history commences 
with the death of Alexander the Great, at which time the 
Grecians began to decline, and extends to their final sub- 
jection to the Romans, covering a period of tivo hundred 
and ninety-three years, extending to A. M. 3974, which 
was about thirty years before the birth of Christ. 

It will readily be seen that the history of a nation ex- 
tending over such a long period of time, cannot be fully 
considered in a single lecture ; but we shall endeavor to 
give as clear an outline of it as possible, and notice the 
principal events in connection with the history of this 
wonderful government. 

There is but little clear knowledge to be derived of the 
events which occurred during the first period of Grecian 
history, for they are shrouded in mystery. Mythology 
was then more current than genuine history, and the peo- 
ple were governed to a great extent by superstition. 
About all that is said of them is of the mythological char- 
acter, and that is so uncertain that it is impossible for us 
to obtain a correct account of the events of that early pe- 
riod, until we come to its closing event, the siege of Troy ; 
and even that was occasioned by superstition, which had 
so much influence in the matter, that it is said that Paeis, 
son of Priam, who was the king of Troy, was told by the 
goddess Yenus, who was worshipped as the " goddess of 
beauty" and " the mother of love," that he should have 
the most beautiful woman in the world for his wife : and 



110 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Beautiful 

Helen. 

Stolen. 

Greeks en- 
raged. 

Trojan 
war. 



2d period. 



Noted 
cities. 



2 principal 
cities. 



Athens 

and 

Sparta. 



Cecrops, 
founder of 
Athens. 
1556 B. C. 



Cecropia. 
Athens. 

Monarchy. 



17 kings. 

1st Cecrops 

2d Cranaus 

Amphict- 

yon. 

Erich- 

thomus. 

Pandion. 

Erechteus. 



hearing of the beautiful Helen, the wife of Menelaus, a 
Spartan prince, he went to Sparta and stole her away; 
which so enraged the Grecians that they advanced with 
their forces upon Troy, and there followed the famous 
Trojan war, which lasted ten years, and resulted in the 
taking of Troy by the Greeks ; who having also obtained 
the prize for which they fought, returned victorious to 
their own land. 

During the second period of Grecian history, the Greeks 
were engaged, to a great extent, in building their cities, 
and establishing their governments. There were quite a 
number of noted cities in ancient Greece, among which 
were Athens, Sparta, Thebes, Argos and Corinth. 
The two principal cities, however, were Athens and Spar- 
ta, to which our attention is turned particularly as we 
seek to understand the position these Grecians occupied 
when they came in contact with other nations, and were 
obliged to resist the invaders of their country ; for the 
cities of Athens and Sparta, and the government as 
established in each, were the bone and sinew of Greece, in 
her ancient glory and power. Athens was founded by 
Cecrops, a native of Sias, in Egypt, who led a colony 
into Attica, a Greek province, about 1556 B.C. He took 
possession of that territory and divided it into twelve dis- 
tricts, or boroughs, and founded this city as the capital of 
that country. It was called Cecropia at first, from Cecrops, 
its founder, but afterwards it received the name Athens 
from Minerva, who obtained the right to give it a name. 
This city and government continued in its monarchial 
form, and was ruled by kings, until about 1070 B.C., 
covering a period of four hundred and eighty-six years, 
during which time seventeen kings reigned, in the following 
order : Cecrops, its founder and the first kino-, reijmed 
fifty years, and was succeeded by Cranaus who reigned 
nine years. Amphictyon, the third king reigned ten 
years. Erichthonius, the fourth king, reigned fifty 
years, and was succeeded by Pandion, who reigned forty 
years. Erechtheus, the sixth king, reigned fifty years. 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



Ill 



Cecrops II. 

Pandion II 

JEgeus. 

Theseus. 

Menes- 

theus. 

Dem - 

phoon. 

Oxyntes. 

Aphidas. 

Thymoetes. 

Melanthus. 

Codrus. 



Areopagus 



Trial of 
Neptune 
and Mars. 



Assembly 
of the Am- 
phietyons 
arranged. 



Expedi- 
tion of the 
Argonauts. 



Labors of 
Hercules. 



Origin of 
the name 
of iEgean 
Sea. 



Codrus' 
death. 



Cecrops 11, forty years ; Pandion II, hventy-f our years ; 
.ZEgeus, thirty-eight years ; Theseus, thirty years; Men- 
estheus, tioenty -three years; Demophoon, thirty -three 
years; Oxyntes, twelve years; Aphid as, one year; 
Thymcetes, eight years ; Melanthus, thirty-seven years; 
and Codrus, the seventeenth and last, reigned twenty-one 
years. 

Cecrops, the first king of Athens established the famous 
Areopagus, to which we shall refer more particularly here- 
after ; and during the reign of Cranaus, his successor, the 
celebrated trial occurred before this Areopagus of the dis- 
pute between Neptune and Mars. 

Amphictyon, the third king of Athens, arranged a con- 
federacy between twelve nations, which assembled twice 
each year at Thermopylae, to offer up their common sacri- 
fices and attend to the common interests of the gov- 
ernment. These conventions were called the Assemblies 
of the Amphictyons. We pass over the fourth king, to 
notice his successor, iEgeus, during whose reign occurred 
several events of interest in Grecian history ; for during 
that time occurred the expedition of the Argonauts, 
Jason and his fifty-four companions, who sailed in the ship 
Argo to Colchis, in pursuit of the "golden fleece." 
There were also the celebrated labors of Hercules, which 
were twelve arduous tasks imposed upon him by the 
preceding king; which, if performed, would entitle him 
to a position among the gods. These labors were perform- 
ed, as stated, during the reign of JEgeus. 

iEgeus closed his reign by drowning himself in the sea, 
on the east of Greece, and from that fact it has been called 
the ^SJgean Sea. 

We now pass over the succeeding kings whose names 
we have given in their order, to notice the fact that Cod- 
rus, who was the seventeenth and last king, devoted him- 
self to death for his country ; and, because of his great 
sacrifice, the Athenians showed him so much respect that 
they decided that no one should bear the title of king in 
their government after him, and so he ended the list of 



112 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Last king 
of Athens. 
Medon. 

Archons. 



Sparta. 

Its posi- 
tion. 



Orignof its 
names. 



Lelex, 1st 
king. 



Two kings. 



Trouble in 
Sparta and 
Athens. 

Nature of it 



kingly rulers in Athens, and thenceforth the rulers were 
called Archons. His son, Medon, succeeded to the head 
of the government under this title of Archon, and Med- 
on being the first to bear this title, the archons were called 
Medontid^. (Archon means simply president, or gov- 
ernor) . The first archons were elected for life ; but be- 
coming dissatisfied with such a long term of office for their 
rulers they decided to elect them for ten years, and finally 
reduced the office to an annual one. 

We now turn from Athens and call attention to Sparta, 
the other principal city of ancient Greece. This city was 
the capital of Lyconia, in the Peloponnesus, and was 
located on the river Eurotas, about thirty miles from its 
mouth. It was sometimes called Lacedremon. The river 
on which this city was located received its name from 
Eurotas, a noted man in that region, and the city was 
named for both his wife and daughter. The name of his 
wife was Lacedcemon, and that of his daughter Sparta. 
The city is more often called Sparta from the name of the 
daughter, than Lacedeemon the name of the wife. 

Lelex, who founded this city, was its first king, and 
commenced his reign about 1516 B. C. A line of kings 
followed in that government until Menelaus, who was the 
tenth, came upon the throne, whose wife, the beautiful 
Helen, was carried away by Paris, the Trojan prince, which 
occasioned the Trojan war, when Troy was taken by the 
Greeks, about 1184 B.C. Nothing of further interest is 
said concerning the government of Sparta, until about 
eighty years after the taking of Troy, when descendants 
of Hercules entered into Peloponnesus, and seized the 
city of Sparta, and two brothers, Eurysthenes and Pro- 
cles, sons of Aristodemus, began to reign together upon 
the throne, and from that time the sceptre continued 
jointly in the hands of two kings who were descendants of 
those who first occupied the throne. 

Soon there was trouble in Sparta, and also in Athens, 
from the fact that there was such an unequal division of 
wealth that there was extreme poverty on the one hand 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



113 



Lycurgus 
ambitious 
to reform 
the govern- 
ment. 



Makes a 
tour. 



Returns. 



Consults 
the princi- 
pal men. 

Position 
upon the 
common. 

Laws pro- 
claimed 
and estab- 
lished. 



Appoints ; 
senate of 
28 mem- 
bers. 



and great wealth on the other. The majority of the peo- 
ple were destitute of those things which were necessary to 
sustain life, while a few rolled in luxury, having abundant 
wealth. The land was owned by the feiv rich men, and 
the poor did not possess so much as a foot of it. Because 
of this, and several other things, great trouble existed 
among them. The citizens began to feel that it was neces- 
sary to effect a reform in the government of Sparta. 

At the time of which we are speaking, when the Spar- 
tans were involved in such difficulty, a man among them 
by the name of Lycurgus, a descendant of Hercules, be- 
came ambitious to reform the government and to change 
the general condition of the people ; but before undertak- 
ing this important work, he thought best to acquaint him- 
self with the laws of other nations, and, for that purpose, 
he made a tour through some of the most important coun- 
tries, — Crete, Asia Minor and Egypt, — giving careful 
attention to their laws, and consulting the most able and 
experienced men in the different localities concerning the 
art of government. So much time was occupied in mak- 
ing this tour -that his countrymen began to be impatient 
for his return ; and finally he came back to Sparta, fully 
prepared to bring about the much desired reform. 

On his arrival he made known his matured plans to the 
principal men in the city ; and finding them ready to ac- 
quiesce in his arrangements, he took his position upon the 
public common, with a large number of soldiers, and there 
proclaimed and established the laws by which they were 
to be governed, some of which were of a very peculiar 
character. 

He first appointed a senate composed of twenty-eight 
members, to keep the balance of power ; for there was fre- 
quently trouble, from the fact that the kings were some- 
times tyrannical, and sometimes the people grasped at too 
much power and disturbed the kings. This senate was 
placed between the kings and their subjects, to take the 
side of the abused against the abusive party, and thereby 
to preserve the equilibrium of the government. This was 



114 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Excellent 
arrange- 
ment. 



Land ques- 
tion. 



9,000 divi- 
sions. 
30,000 di- 
visions. 
Shares in 
reserve. 



Land ques- 
tion settled 



Public 
meals. 



How 
arranged. 



Social 
feature. 
Character 
of the con- 
versation. 



an excellent arrangement in connection with the laws of 
Sparta, and resulted in substantial good. 

Having established this senate, Lycurgus sought to 
bring about further reform, and to remedy the trouble 
which existed on account of the land question, the circum- 
stances being quite similar to those in Ireland at the pres- 
ent time. He therefore demanded that those landlords 
who owned and controlled the entire territory of Sparta 
and Lyconia should give up all the land to the Common- 
wealth ; he then divided it equally among the citizens. 
The territory of Sparta he divided into nine thousand 
divisions, and that of Lyconia into thirty thousand divi- 
sions, and gave to each citizen an equal share. There 
were also a large number of shares left for any others who 
might require them. This arrangement was not very 
pleasant to the rich land-holders, but it gave great satis- 
faction to the poor tenants. 

Having thus settled the land question, he sought to 
remove all other distinctions of wealth, by preventing 
those who were disposed to roll in luxury, and to feast 
upon the advantages of wealth, from indulgence in this 
extraordinary manner, when others could scarcely afford 
sufficient means to sustain life. To accomplish this, he 
arranged public meals, which the people were to eat in 
common, no man being allowed, under any circumstances, 
to eat at home with his family. 

For the convenience of this arrangement, public dining 
halls were constructed, where the people sat down in com- 
panies of about fifteen at each table, and each person was 
required to furnish a bushel of flour, eight measures of 
wine, five pounds of cheese, and two pounds and a half of 
figs every month, for the tables, and a small sum of 
money to pay for the cooking. 

One excellent characteristic of these public meals, was 
the social feature ; for, as they sat together at those tables 
their conversation was required to be of the highest and 
most elevating character. It was often lively and cheer- 
ful, but never mixed with anything vulgar or degrading. 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



115 



Children 
instructed. 



Questioned 
by their 
teachers. 



Questions 
and an- 
swers. 



Schools es- 
tablished. 



Spartan 
schools. 



Severe 
discipline. 



Excellen- 
cies. 

Obedience 
required. 



They were not even allowed to indulge in practical joking 
to the annoyance of any person. 

Their children were carried there, as to schools of wis- 
dom, to be instructed by listening to the topics of conver- 
sation which were introduced and discussed by their 
seniors. And the teachers who were present often asked 
the children questions, requiring ready answers, accompa- 
nied with reasons or proofs, to be expressed in as few 
words as possible, that they might become accustomed to 
a laconic style of speaking. The questions were fre- 
quently abrupt ; as, Who is the most honest man in town? 
or, What do you think of such a thing, or act? and the 
laconic answers of the children, and the reasons given 
why they thus answered, were of special interest to those 
who listened, and to the children themselves. 

But they did not consider this mode of proceedure suffi- 
cient to qualify their children for practical life, and there- 
fore schools were established for their special training ; for 
Lycurgus considered that the education of the children 
was of the greatest importance in a well-established gov- 
ernment. He claimed that they belonged to the govern- 
ment more than to their parents, and should be trained in 
such a manner as to qualify them for service to their coun- 
try. Therefore these schools were established, and at the 
age of seven years the boys were placed in common classes 
and all subjected to rigid discipline, and were drilled in 
those things considered essential to prepare them for posi- 
tions in the government. Sometimes their rules of disci- 
pline were so severe that they were extremely cruel, and 
the children of weak constitutions could not endure their 
riiror, and often their lives were sacrificed as they were 
subjected to them. Only the strongest survived. This 
accounts for the general good physical condition of the 
Spartans. But there were many excellent things about 
their laws relating to education. They were taught how 
to obey and how to command, and were required to yield 
strict obedience to parents and teachers, even from their 
infancy. 



116 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Such in- 
struction 
right. 



Our times. 

Statement 
of a Con- 
gregation- 
alist minis- 
ter. 



Taught not 
to be afraid 
in the dark, 
etc. 



How the 
youngwere 
to treat the 
old. 



A story. 



Such instruction is of the right character. Children 
should early learn to respect and obey their parents and 
teachers ; and if the proper methods are generally adopted, 
they will do so ; but often, alas ! in our times there is a 
condition of things far different from this. A Congrega- 
tionalist minister recently quaintly said, when speaking 
upon this point : ' ' There is just as much government in 
families now as there ever was, only it has changed right 
about : parents used to govern their children ; but now 
children govern their parents," — a statement, the force of 
which we often feel as we come in contact with many of 
the families of to-day. The children in Sparta were also 
taught not to be afraid in the dark, or when left alone, 
nor to be fretful or peevish, neither to find fault with their 
food or clothing. 

Another excellent characteristic of the Spartan schools 
was the instruction of the young with reference to their 
treatment of the aged. They were taught to reverence 
and respect the old, and to give evidence of this under all 
circumstances -by saluting them in a respectful manner, 
and by giving place to them upon the streets, or by rising 
in honor of them, as they came into their presence, in the 
public assembly or elsewhere ; and by receiving their ad- 
vice, and even their reproofs, in a submissive manner. By 
these tokens a Spartan was known wherever he went ; and 
if he had failed to have manifested these characteristics, he 
would have reproached himself and dishonored his coun- 
try. A story is told of an aged Athenian, who at one 
time went into a theatre to witness a play, when the place 
was so much crowded, as such places usually are, that 
there was no vacant seat for the old man. Quite a num- 
ber of his own countrymen were present, but none of them 
offered him a seat ; but he passed along to where some 
Spartans were seated, when they immediately arose and 
gave the old man a seat in their midst. On account of 
this respect for the aged, it has been said that " Sparta 
was a desirable place in which to grow old." 

The Spartans gave but little attention to science and art, 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



117 



Their mili- 
tary educa- 
tion. 



Their prin- 
ciples. 



Illustra- 
tion. 



Jealous of 
principles. 

Archilo- 
chus 

obliged to 
leave. 



Spartan 
walls. 



Lycurgus' 
money ar- 
rangement 
and its 
object. 



but devoted their time principally to the military interests 
of their government, and so thoroughly were they drilled 
in that line that they have exerted an influence upon the 
world until now, because of their noble principles and 
military skill. They thought it dishonorable to flee be- 
fore an enemy, and were instructed from their earliest 
moments that it was more honorable to die on the field of 
battle, than to save their life by a disgraceful flight. As 
an illustration of their valor, it is related that when the 
young Spartan went forth in defence of his country, bear- 
ing his shield, which was so heavy that he could not flee 
from the enemy without leaving it behind him, and was 
large enough for him to be borne upon it if he was killed, 
his loyal mother would say to him, as she pointed to the 
shield, "With it, or on it ;" as much as to say, "Bring 
back this shield as a conqueror, or be brought back upon 
it as one slain, but not conquered." And the Spartans 
were so jealous of these principles, that when the poet 
Archilochus came to tarry in their city for a little time, 
they obliged him to leave, because he had represented, in 
one of his poems, ' that it was better for a man to throw 
down his weapons than to lose his life.' By noticing these 
interesting facts, we shall be prepared to understand their 
conduct as they came in contact with those who were dis- 
posed to overpower them. 

Sparta had no massive walls of brick or stone to protect 
it ; but its citizens boasted of a wall of greater strength, — 
that of their Spartan forces, of which every soldier was a 
brick. From that fact the saying came to be used, when 
a man is credited with some action worthy of notice, "He 
is a brick." And every man who stands thus for principle 
is "a brick." 

Lycurgus came to the conclusion that gold and silver had 
a corrupting influence. These could be used internation- 
ally, and when so used would bring the Spartans, to some 
extent, under the influence of other nations, and they 
thereby be in danger of becoming corrupted. He wished 
to keep them within their own government, shut up to 



118 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Quotation 
concerning 
the propri 
ety of this 
arrange- 
ment. 



Spartans 
not asked 
for means, 
hut for 
men. 



Reform in 
Athens. 



themselves, and even there to prevent the hoarding up of 
gold and silver, as some are always inclined to do. He 
therefore banished gold and silver from Sparta, and intro- 
duced iron money, which was so bulky and of so little 
value that it required a cart and a yoke of oxen to draw 
$88.80 worth, and because this iron money was not con- 
venient to handle, the Spartans were " shut up to them- 
selves " in business transactions, for it could not be used 
internationally, and they ivere emphatically prevented from 
coming in contact with other nations. " They might trade 
moderately with each other, but no man would care to 
have much of such money ; nor could any one procure 
much with it, for the barter in the original articles of pro- 
duce and manufacture would be as convenient as the use 
of such a medium of exchange, and extensive manufactories 
and business operations would be out of the question. 
Rings and monopolies, corners in grains and manufactured 
goods would be impossible ; and yet, possibly, the people 
would be generally more peaceable, contented, and happy 
than with a medium which would be of more intrinsic 
value. Gold and silver have been found to be the best 
standards of value, but serious evils are associated with 
their use ; but still they are not as bad as a medium of no 
intrinsic value at all." 

Because of this arrangement it was said that other na- 
tions never asked the Spartans for means to support their 
enterprises ; but they did sometimes request that a Spar- 
tan might lead forth their armies, because the men were of 
more consequence than their money. 

We now call attention to the reform which was finally 
effected in Athens ; for, as we noticed, the Athenians were 
involved in trouble as great as that which disturbed the 
Spartans. There was great wealth on the part of the few, 
and extreme poverty on the part of the many ; and the 
poor had become so much indebted to the rich, that they 
were obliged to sell themselves as slaves to pay their 
debts, and there was no possibility of their ever being able 
to redeem themselves ; and it was evident that they must 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



119 



Solon re- 
quested to 
do the 
work. 



He decides 
to do it. 



Consults 
his promi- 
nent men. 



They ac- 
quiesce. 
Take ad- 
vantage of 
circum- 
stances. 
Borrow 
money. 



Shrewd- 
ness. 



Debts 
cancelled. 
The rich 
displeased. 



remain in want and slavery forever, unless they found 
some one to help them out of the difficulty ; and, under 
those circumstances, they turned their attention to Solon, 
who was called one of the seven wise men of Greece, and 
desired him to bring about a reform in Athens, as Lycur- 
gus had done in Sparta. Solon hesitated. He did not 
wish to undertake that work ; there was too great respon- 
sibility connected with it for him to desire it ; but they 
urged the matter upon him. He was a favorite. The rich 
liked him because was wealthy, and the poor liked him 
because he was benevolent and kind to them ; therefore, 
both parties were willing that he should undertake the 
work of reforming the government, and he finally con- 
sented to comply with their urgent request. 

After having matured his plans concerning this enter- 
prise, he decided to consult some of the prominent and 
influential men about the course he intended to pursue, 
just as Lycurgus had done in Sparta, that he might be 
sure of their co-operation and assistance in establishing 
his laws. His proposition was to cancel all the debts of 
the poor and to liberate them from bondage ; and as he 
stated this to those men whom he had chosen to consult, 
they favored the idea at once, and thought it an excellent 
plan ; but, before the law was enforced, these men took 
advantage of the circumstances and went directly and bor- 
rowed of some of the rich men a large amount of money, 
knowing that in a few days Solon would cancel all debts, 
and they would then be in possession of a large amount of 
money, which they could not have obtained in any other 
way, and for which they had rendered no equivalent. 
They were as shrewd as some men we have now-a-days, 
who manage affairs in such a way that they accumulate 
great wealth in a very short time, by taking advantage of 
the ignorance of others, or of their circumstances. 

When Solon cancelled all these debts, the rich were 
displeased, of course ; and they had some reason for being 
offended, especially with those who had deceived them and 
fraudulently procured their money, knowing that Solon 



120 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Council of 
400. 



Council of 
500. 



Chosen by 
lot. 

How sup- 
ported. 



Areopagus 
established 



Origin of 
the name. 
Number of 
members. 



Meetings 
out doors. 



The law- 
yers 
restricted. 



was about to enforce the law of nullifying the debts of the 
poor, while they of whom the money was borrowed knew 
nothing of this debt-cancelling law until it was enforced ; 
but they could not prevent the result, and so were obliged 
to submit. 

Solon afterwards established a council, or senate, of four 
hundred members, who had power to make and cancel 
laws. About one hundred years after his time, Clisthenes 
added another hundred to this body, and it was called the 
"Council of five hundred." There were ten tribes from 
which these councillors were taken, each tribe supplying 
fifty men. They were chosen by lot. These senators 
were supported out of the public treasury, and the coun- 
cil was of great importance, as war, taxes, maritime 
affairs, treaties, alliances, and whatever pertained to 
the general interests of the government, were regulated 
by it. 

Solon also re-established the Areopagus, which was first 
established by Cecrops. This was a criminal council, and 
was called " Areopagos," from the place where it met, the 
Quarter, or Hill of Mars, which comes from the Greek 
word A.reiopagos. This council was composed of one, 
two, or three hundred members, as the case might require. 
Each of the members were supposed to have first filled the 
office of archon, and thus to have been thoroughly quali- 
fied for his position in this council. The meetings of 
this council were held in the out-door air, and after dark. 
It is thought this was required, that they might not be 
under the same roof with the prisoners, and thereby be 
influenced in their decisions by having their sympathies 
excited so as to thwart the aims of justice. 

The orators, or lawyers, who were employed to state 
the case of the criminal and to produce evidence, were not 
allowed to use any arguments to influence the council, 
either in favor of or against the prisoner ; but to present 
simply the plain facts, and then leave the council unbiassed 
to decide impartially. This council was severe in the pun- 
ishment it inflicted upon those found guilty, especially of 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



121 



Boy sen- 
tenced to 
die. 
His crime. 



Jurisdic- 
tion over 
the religion 
of the peo- 
ple. 



Paul the 
apostle in 
Athens. 



Brought 
before the 
Areopagus 



Paul's text 



One con- 
vert. 



those who were guilty of murder. .At one time these coun- 
cillors even sentenced a boy to be put to death, because he 
was found guilty of putting out the eyes of quails. They 
said it was evidence of a bad disposition ; and if he was 
allowed to grow up, they would have greater and more 
serious trouble on his account. They also held jurisdic- 
tion over the religious ideas of the people ; and every new 
doctrine of a religious character was brought before this 
council of the Areopagus for investigation. It will be re- 
membered that, in the seventeenth chapter of the book of 
the Acts, we have the account of the Apostle Paul in Ath- 
ens, and that, while tarrying there in waiting for the ar- 
rival of Silas and Timotheus, he looked over the city, and 
his heart was stirred when he saw that the ' ' Athenians 
were wholly given to idolatry," and: he began to discuss the 
question concerning these things with those whom he met, 
and to preach the gospel of Christ, when they called him 
a " babbler," and arrested him, and brought him before 
this Areopagus, accusing him of presenting a new doc- 
trine ; and they declared that it must be investigated. 
So he was arrayed for trial. This gave him an excellent 
opportunity to preach the truth ; and he was thoroughly 
prepared to defend his doctrine. He had not been look- 
ing around that Grecian city for nothing ; but had found 
among the many altars devoted to their different gods, one 
bearing the inscription, "To the Unknown God," and, 
as he was required to preach before the Areopagus, that 
his doctrine might be examined, he took that inscription 
for a text, and told them of the God to them "unknown." 
They had, by the inscription, confessed themselves igno- 
rant concerning one God, and Paul being acquainted with 
that One, had a right to introduce him to them ; and they 
could not complain if he did so, as they were supposed to 
desire his acquaintance. He therefore preached earnestly 
and faithfully the God of heaven, and his Son Jesus Christ, 
and the great doctrine of the resurrection of the dead ; and 
his arguments were so powerful that one of the members of 
that council at least, namely, " Dionysius the Areopagite," 



122 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



The inhab- 
itants of 
Athens, 
Citizens, 
Strangers, 
Servants. 



How a 
young man 
became a 
statesman. 



The 

Athenian 

oath. 



The Stran- 
gers. 



The Ser- 
vants. 



was converted, and came to know the true God, before 
" unknown." 

The inhabitants of Athens were composed of three classes, 
the Citizens, the Strangers, and the Servants. The 
citizens were those only who were born there or adopted. 
To be a natural citizen of Athens one must be born of 
Athenian parents who were free, and then, when the 
young man arrived at the age of twenty, he was enrolled 
on the citizens' list, upon taking a very solemn oath, which 
made him a member of the State. The oath has been pre- 
served by Stobacus and Pollux, and is given to us in the 
following words : 

" I will never dishonor the profession of arms, nor save 
my life by a shameful flight. I will fight to my last breath 
for the religion and civil interests of the State, in concert 
with other citizens, and alone if occasion should require. 
I will not bring my country into a worse condition than I 
found it, but will use my utmost endeavors to make it most 
happy and flourishing. I will always submit myself to the 
laws and magistrates, and to all that shall be ordained by 
the common consent of the people. If any one shall vio- 
late or make void the laws, I will not disguise or conceal 
such an attempt, but will oppose it, either alone or in con- 
junction with my fellow-citizens ; and I will constantly 
adhere to the religion of my forefathers. To all which I 
call to witness Agraulis, Enyalus, Mars and Jupiter." 

The second order of inhabitants were distinguished as 
Strangers, because they were foreigners, who settled in 
Athens for business enterprises. They had no part in the 
government, were not permitted to vote, nor allowed to 
fill any office. They were required to observe the laws 
and customs of Athens, and to pay an annual tribute ; but 
if at any time they failed to pay that tribute they were 
sold as slaves. 

The class of inhabitants known as Servants were of two 
kinds — the free and the bond. The free servants were 
those who were free born, but unable to live without going 
into service for wages ; and the bond servants were those 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



123 



Education- 
al interests 



Art and 
Science. 



The result 
of this 
course. 



The differ- 
ent classes 
of great 
men. 



Seven wise 
men. 



The poets. 



who had been taken prisoners in war, or had been bought ; 
but these, even, were paid a certain amount for their labor, 
and they had the privilege of saving enough from their 
wages to purchase their liberty, if they chose to do so. 

To the educational interests in Athens there was given 
special attention by Solon, as he arranged the affairs of the 
government, and the Athenian institutions of learning have 
exerted a wonderful influence upon the world. 

Art and science were taught extensively in the Athenian 
schools, and their different branches were carried to a very 
high state of perfection. Grammar, poetry, rhetoric, elo- 
cution, philosophy and mathematics were the principal 
studies to which the Athenians devoted their attention, and 
their teachers were very thorough in their endeavors to in- 
struct ; and, as the result, even the poorer classes were 
noted for their very choice language. It is said that a 
simple herb-woman detected Theophrastus, a native of 
Lesbos, an eloquent speaker, as a foreigner, by a mistake 
in the pronunciation of a single word. Music and gym- 
nastic exercises were also taught in the Athenian schools. 

As the result of the thorough course pursued in the 
educational interests, we have the names of the distin- 
guished men of Greece, especially of Athens, whose names 
and influence have extended even down to our times, and 
some of their writings are used in our high schools and 
colleges as text books. 

The Grecian wise men, poets, philosophers, and orators 
are very prominent in the history of ancient Greece, and 
many of their names have been preserved and have become 
familiar to those who have acquainted themselves with an- 
cient history. 

There were the seven wise men of Greece, namely — 
Thales, Solon, Chilo, Pittacus, Bias, Cleobulus, and 
Periander. 

The most noted poets were Homer, Hesiod, Archilo- 
chus, Hippanax, Stesichorus, Alceman, Ale^eus, Sim- 
onides, Anacreon, and Thespis ; and Sappho, poetess. 

Not only have the names of these poets been preserved 



124 THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 

but their writings are still in existence, especially those of 
Homee. His two celebrated poems, the Iliad and Odys- 
sey, are of a very high order, and are permanent text 
books in our schools. 
er'Jstete- 1 " John Von Mullee, in his Universal History, makes 

me " t ? the following interesting and valuable statements with ref- 

quoted. ° ° 

erence to these poems. He says : " The Iliad and Odys- 
sey were probably sung by Homer about a century and a 
half after the destruction of the town of Troy. They are 
as old as David's Psalms. Originally the Iliad would ap- 
pear not to have been a single connected poem, but to have 
attained, at a later period, to its present complete state. 

A hundred years after Homer, Lycurgus, the lawgiver 
of Lacedemon, (or Sparta,) brought these poems into 
Greece, and two centuries later, Pisistratusis supposed to 
have given them their perfect form. His son, Hipjparchus, 
introduced the custom of reciting rhapsodies at the Pana- 
theneia, or festival of the tutelar goddess. A more com- 
plete edition of the Homeric poems, from which our mod- 
ern ones are taken, was prepared by Aristotle for Alex- 
ander the Great, which the latter used to keep under his 
pillow in a golden case. Also Aratus, the astronomer, 
Aristarchus of Samos, and Aristophanes, librarian at 
Alexandria, bestowed their labors upon these immortal 
songs. They are, according to my opinion, the noblest 
of all poems. The orator, the historian, the poet, and 
the private citizen, obtain from them equal instruction. A 
fine moral sentiment breathes through the whole. "We be- 
hold at one time the ruinous consequences of violence and 
anarchy ; at another the power of moderation and reason. 

Obedience and freedom, heroism and military disci- 
pline are recommended. Men appear as they are; all in 
action — nothing is idle or in stagnation. We are carried 
away from ourselves, and instructed without being con- 
scious of it. Hence it was that Homer became the pattern 
of Thucidides, the favorite author of the greatest and no- 
blest men, and one of the best teachers of the wisdom of 
human life." 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



125 



Philoso- 
phers. 

Orators 
and mili- 
tary men. 



Among the most prominent philosophers we find the 
names of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, and among 
the orators and military characters both of Athens and 
Sparta, we notice the names of Pericles, Demosthenes, 
Themistocles, Aristides, Miltiades, Leonidas, and 
Phocion, who were very noted, and will be referred to 
occasionally during the remainder of this lecture. 



3d Period. 

Grecians 
and Per- 
sians. 

Darius re- 
solves to 
conquer 
the Greeks. 



His forces 
advance. 



Sure of 
success. 
Carry mar- 
ble. 

Battle of 

Marathon 

follows. 



Grecians 
prepared 
to resist. 



Character 

of Themis- 
tocles. 



Compari- 
son. 



We now come to the commencement of the third period 
of Grecian history, at which time the Grecians became in- 
termixed with the Persians in their history. 

Darius, son of Hystaspes, being in possession of the 
Persian throne, resolved, as stated in our second lecture, to 
conquer the Greeks, and bring their territory under his 
control. He therefore sent his army, under the command 
of his most able officers, into Greece, and the Persians were 
so sure of success, that they carried marble with them for 
the purpose of erecting a monument to their glory, as con- 
querors, when the Grecians should be defeated. The cele- 
brated battle of Marathon followed, when the Persian sol- 
diers came in contact with such men as Themistocles, Aris- 
tides, Miltiades, and many others of considerable note, 
distinguished for their courage and valor — who were pre- 
pared to resist them, and to defend their country. It is 
well to notice the character of these prominent men as 
they come before us in this capacity, and, in doing so, we 
shall see that they were not unlike men of our own times. 
The two first mentioned, Themistocles and Aristides, were 
a perfect contrast in their principles of life. Themistocles, 
though possessed of great ability, was always working es- 
pecially for his own interest. He loved office, and was 
ready to do almost anything to insure his election to an 
official position. He had wealth and considerable influ- 
ence, which he used for that purpose. He favored those 
who would favor him in return ; like some men of to-day. 
About election time there are often those who are ready to 
grant favors in order to secure their desired object. Their 
money flows freely, and their affability is remarkable. 



126 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Aristides a 
contrast. 



Called the 
Just. 
Is ban- 
ished. 



Interesting 
circum- 
stances. 



They are very kind, genial and cordial to everybody, 
even to the very poorest classes, especially if they are 
situated to vote, until after election is over and they are 
exalted to office ; then, they may meet the same men upon 
the street the next day, even those who have used their 
influence to place them in the much coveted position, and 
do not even recognize them, but pass them by with- 
out noticing them. This was characteristic of Themisto- 
cles ; but Aristides was, as stated, a strong contrast to this 
man, and appeared everywhere to oppose the corrupt prin- 
ciples of Themistocles. He was a man of true and noble 
character, straightforward and upright in all his deport- 
ment. He would not sacrifice principle to favor his best 
friend ; and because of these excellent traits of character, 
he was called Aristides the Just. Aristides was banished 
from Greece at one time, through the influence of The- 
mistocles, who wanted to be rid of his constant reproof, 
and when the people came to vote for his banishment, as 
was customary, the name of the accused was written upon 
a shell. A peasant who could not write, and who did not 
know Aristides personally, approached a stranger and re- 
quested that he would write the name of Aristides upon 
his shell ; when the stranger asked : ' ' Why do you vote 
against Aristides ; has he done you any wrong, that you 
are anxious to condemn him?" " No,'* replied the peasant, 
" I do not even know him ; but I am tired and angry with 
hearing him called ' The Just.' " Then that stranger took 
the shell, and wrote the name Aristides upon it, and quietly 
and courteously returned it to the peasant, who went away 
to cast his vote, ignorant of who the stranger was that had 
so kindly and pleasantly assisted him. That stranger was 
Aristides himself ; and he thus calmly and impartially 
did what few men would consent to do. But with him 
principle was above everything else, and he would not be 
guilty of endeavoring to influence a poor peasant to vote 
contrary to his wish, even to save himself from banish- 
ment, and he had too much respect for the man who made 
the request to embarrass him by making himself known. 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



127 



Aristides 
recalled. 



His work. 



10 officers 
to com- 
mand, each 
for a day. 



Aristides 
resigns in 
favor of 
Miltiades. 

Battle of 
Marathon. 
Grecians 
victorious. 



Their mon- 
ument of 
Persian 
marble. 



Effort of 
Xerxes. 



Leonidas 
and The- 
mis tocles. 



4,000 men. 
300 Spar- 
tans. 



Though Aristides was banished at that time, when the 
trouble arose on account of the Persians he was recalled, 
as the country could not afford to dispense with his ser- 
vices ; and he did much in the interests of the Grecians 
against the enemy. 

When the forces of Darius advanced upon them, there 
were ten officers in the Grecian army who had controlling 
influence, and, that there might be no cause for jealousy, 
in planning their operations, it was decided that these offi- 
cers should command each for a day ; but Aristides, real- 
izing; the unwiseness of such an arrangement, and being; 

© © ' © 

himself one of the ten, said : " Miltiades is the best quali- 
fied to command our forces, and I resign in his favor." 
Then the others followed his example, and Miltiades led 
the Grecian soldiers against the Persians, and in the battle 
of Marathon the Grecians were victorious. The Persians 
were defeated, and that marble which they had taken so 
much care to convey to Greece, to erect a monument to 
their own glory, was used by the Grecians, and a monu- 
ment of marble upon which they had paid no freightage, 
was erected to their honor, and marked the defeat and dis- 
grace of the Persians. 

The next event of interest in the history of the Grecians 
is the effort of Xerxes, the king of Persia, and successor 
of Darius, to blot them out of existence, when, as we 
noticed in our last lecture, he came against them with two 
million, six hundred and forty-one thousand, six hundred 
and ten fighting men ; and at the head of five million, two 
hundred and eighty-three thousand, two hundred and 
twenty excited enthusiasts, who were interested in their 
overthrow, he marched proudly against them. 

Leonidas and Themistocles then stood at the head of the 
Grecians, — one a Spartan, and the other an Athenian, — 
determined to resist Xerxes with his "world of men." 
Leonidas — one of the Spartan kings, in command of 
four thousand soldiers, three hundred of whom were Spar- 
tans, and the rest allies from the different localities in 
Greece and vicinity — took his position at the pass of Ther- 



128 



THE WORLD'S GEE AT EMPIRES. 



Thermop- 
ylas. 



Xerxes' 
approach. 
His feel- 
ings. 



Attempt to 
bribe Leon- 
idas. 



Median 
forces. 



Many men, 
few sol- 
diers. 



Xerxes 
leaps from 
his throne. 



mopylae, ready to meet the on-coming foe. The pass of 
Thermopylae is a narrow passage of Mount CEta, between 
Thessaly and Phocis, only twenty-five feet in width. It 
comprised about half an acre of land, and seemed to be the 
only way through which the Persian land-army could enter 
into Greece proper, and advance to Athens. At that point 
Leonidas chose to station his forces, to defend the pass, 
and prevent the Persians from entering Greece. 

When Xerxes approached and found them prepared to 
offer resistance, he was surprised and indignant, and en- 
deavored with his money to bribe Leonidas and his men, 
and even waited four days to bring them to terms, and 
during those four days he made every effort possible to 
bribe Leonidas and bring him under his influence, assuring 
him that he would make him master of all Greece, if he 
would come over to his side ; but Leonidas scorned his 
proposal with indignation. A Spartan could never be 
guilty of selling his country, even if he could be exalted to 
the highest position possible on account of it. His early 
training had too much influence upon him to allow him to 
do such a disgraceful act. Therefore, if Xerxes entered 
Greece, he must fight his way through over the dead 
bodies of Leonidas and his men. 

Xerxes first ordered his Median forces to advance upon 
the Spartan band, and " to take them all alive, and bring 
them to him ; " but they were not able to comply with the 
requirement; for, instead of taking Leonidas and his men, 
the Medes were shamefully put to flight, and proved, as 
Herodotus has said, " that Xerxes had a great many men, 
but few soldiers." The Persian king next ordered ten 
thousand men, who were the best in his whole army, and 
known as the " Immortal Band," to face the Spartans and 
operate against them ; but they were no more successful than 
the others, and the Immortal Band proved to be mortal so 
soon that Xerxes was perplexed, and while his men were 
being cut down in such a fearful manner, he is said to have 
leaped from his throne three times the first day, in fear of 
the destruction of his entire army by that handful of men, 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



129 



Traitor. 



Leonidas 
permits his 
allies to re- 
tire. 

300 Spar- 
tans re- 
main. 



Leonidas 
and his 300 
Spartans 
fall. 



Fighting in 
the shade. 



Influence 
upon the 
world. 



Byron's 
poetic de- 
scription. 



which was almost a thousand times smaller than his own 
mighty host, and which he had so recently scorned and 
despised. 

Leonidas and his followers defended the pass against 
Xerxes two days, and at the end of the second day the 
Persian monarch was entirely ignorant as to how to pro- 
ceed ; but a renegade Grecian in that vicinity showed him 
a secret passage, by which a part of his army ascended 
the ledges of the mountains and attacked Leonidas in the 
rear. 

When Leonidas realized his situation, he gave his allies 
the privilege of retiring, and they went home, leaving him 
with his three hundred Spartans, who were ready to die 
for their country, and thought it more honorable to do so 
than to retire, and leave the enemy to pass, without oppo- 
sition, into the heart of their respected country. Leonidas 
and the three hundred noble Spartans fought until only 
one man was left alive, and he w 7 as always considered as 
having disgraced his country by returning alive without 
having vanquished the foe. Leonidas was the first to fall ; 
but his soldiers, true to principle, fought with greater zeal 
as they saw their leader go down, slain by the hands of 
their cruel invaders, until about twenty thousand of Xer- 
xes soldiers were slain during that sharp contest at Ther- 
mopylae. 

The Spartans were told before the fight that " the ar- 
rows of the Persians would fly so thickly as to obscure the 
sun ;" when they said, "We will fight in the shade, then." 

The valiant stand of Leonidas and his three hundred 
Spartans at Thermopylae, has exerted an influence upon 
the world,, and even to-day their noble position, taken in 
defence of justice and true principle, is referred to in a 
manner which shows that their influence still lives. 

Byron has given us a poem descriptive of that scene to 
some extent, but especially with reference to the influence 
it has exerted over the world. 

The poem is entitled, The Spartans at Thermopylae, 
and is as follows : — 



130 THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 

The poem. " They fell devoted, but undying ; 

The very gale their names seemed sighing ; 
The waters murmured of their name ; 
The woods were peopled with their fame ; 
The silent pillar, lone and gray, 
Claimed kindred with their sacred clay. 
Their influence wrapped the dusky mountain ; 
Their memory sparkled o'er the fountain : 
The meanest rill, the mightiest river, 
Rolled, mingling with their fame forever. 
Despite of every yoke she bears, 
The land is glory's still — and theirs. 
'Tis still a watchword to the earth : 
When man would do a deed of worth 
He points to Greece — then turns to tread, 
So sanctioned — on the tyrant's head. 
He looks to her, and rushes on 
"Where life is lost, or freedom won." 



Spartan 
principle 
needed to- 
day. 



Engage- 
ment at sea 



Xerxes ad- 
vances into 
Greece. 

Athens 
evacuated. 



If there was more Spartan principle among people to- 
day — especially among the professed people of God — we 
should not see His cause suffering as it does, often, un- 
der present circumstances. 

The same day on which the glorious battle was fought 
at Thermopylae, there was an engagement at sea between 
the Grecian and Persian fleets. The Grecian fleet, which 
had lain by near Artemisium, a promontory of Euboea, 
upon the northern coast, consisted of two hundred and 
seventy-one vessels ; and that of the Persians, which was 
lying near it, was much more numerous, though it had a 
short time before lost about four hundred vessels, which 
were destroyed in a violent tempest. As these two fleets 
came to an engagement the Persians met with great loss, 
and on the night following many more of their ships were 
destroyed by a severe storm. The Grecians then sailed 
toward the heart of Greece, and put in at the island of 
Salamis, very near to Attica, of which Athens was capital. 

Xerxes having succeeded in passing the Spartan guard, 
was enabled to march undisturbed towards Athens. The- 
mistocles learning of the onward march of Xerxes, ad- 
vised the Athenians to evacuate the city, and retire to the 
island of Salamis, which they finally did, and left their city 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



131 



Xerxss 
takes pos- 
sess 



He ad- 
vances to 
Salamis. 



Xerxes 
flight. 

Crosses the 
Hellespont 



What 
might be 
expected. 



Involved 
in trouble. 
Pelopon- 
nesian war 



to be plundered and Burned by the enemy. Xerxes be- 
came possessed of immense treasures, as he took the 
wealthy city of Athens, and was much elated with his suc- 
cess. While he was accomplishing his work at Athens, 
there arose a little dispute among the Grecians at Salamis, 
with reference to the course which should be pursued, and 
Themistocles, who was anxious to bring about an engage- 
ment between the Grecians and their enemy, caused secret 
intelligence to be conveyed to Xerxes, as stated in our 
seeond lecture, to the effect that if he desired to over- 
power the Grecians he should advance upon them at once, 
as there was danger of their becoming separated, and then 
he could not so easily accomplish his design. Xerxes, 
heeding this advice, advanced upon the Grecians, and the 
wonderful battle of Salamis followed, and the army of the 
Persian king was so cut down that he hastily fled by night, 
leaving Mardonius, one of the generals, behind, in com- 
mand of three hundred thousand men, to reduce Greece, 
if possible ; but they were not sufficient for the task, and 
retreated in a demoralized condition. When the Grecians 
learned of Xerxes flight they pursued him as swiftly as 
possible, while he hastened as rapidly as possible towards 
the Hellespont, where he arrived after a march of forty-five 
days, and his boat-bridge being swept away by tempests, 
he was obliged to cross those waters in a little boat, with 
two or three officers in attendance — defeated in all his 
plans, and never again to make an attempt to crush the 
Greeks. 

From what we have learned of the energy and valor of 
the Grecians, we would expect to see them continuing to 
advance in strength and glory until they should have uni- 
versal power ; but instead of unitedly marching onward 
from that point to the establishment of the third great 
empire of the world, we find them soon involved in war 
among themselves, and there followed the Peloponnesian 
war, which lasted twenty-seven years, and other conflicts 
in which Grecians fought against Grecians, until they lost 
nearly all their former glory, and became so much de- 



132 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



The Gre- 
cians de- 
generated. 



Attention 
turned to 
Macedonia 



How the 
inhabi- 
tants had 
lived. 
Their gov- 
ernment. 
First capi- 
tal, Edessa 
Second, 
Pella. 



Amyntas 



Descend- 
ants of 
Hercules. 
History 
obscure. 



Amyntas 
in trouble. 
Declares 
war a- 
gainst the 
Olynthians 



The sons 
of Amyn- 
tas. 



Philip 
born. 
Amyntas 
reigns 24 
years. 



graded that they soon lost all ambition concerning the 
credit of their country, and gave themselves up to the en- 
joyment of pleasure, devoting their time principally to 
games and feasts ; and while we see them thus degraded, 
and gradually becoming weaker in their position, we turn 
to notice events of interest in Macedonia, the extreme 
northern division of ancient Greece. 

The inhabitants of Macedonia had lived in seclusion un- 
til this time, and had maintained their original monarchial 
form of government from the beginning of their history. 

The first capital of their kingdom was Edessa, but after- 
wards Pella was made the capital, on account of its being 
the birthplace of Philip and Alexander, who filled a very 
prominent place in the history of this kingdom, as we 
shall notice hereafter. 

At the time of which we are speaking, when the Gre- 
cians were so much weakened and degraded, Amyntas II. 
was king of Macedonia. He was the sixteenth from Ca- 
ranus, who founded that kingdom about four hundred and 
thirty years before — B.C. 794. 

The kings of Macedonia claimed to be descendants of 
Hercules, but their history is very obscure until we strike 
the reign of Amyntas II., the sixteenth king, as just 
stated. 

Amyntas was soon involved in war with the Illyrians, 
and after a time found it necessary to declare war against 
the Olynthians. In this war he was assisted by the Athen- 
ians, and was enabled to weaken that foe who threatened 
his ruin. 

Amyntas had several sons. His eldest was named Alex- 
ander. He was not Alexander the Great, but an uncle to 
that noted Macedonian. The second son of Amyntas was 
Perdiccas, and his youngest was named Philip, and he was 
the noted Philip op Macedon, who will receive consider- 
able notice in this lecture. 

Philip was born in the city of Pella, in the same year in 
which his father declared war upon the Olynthians. 

Amyntas died after having reigned twenty-four years, 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



133 



Alexander 

succeeds 

him. 



Pausanias. 

Perdiccas 
upon the 
throne. 



Philip in 
Thebes. 



Revolution 
in Mace- 
don. 
Philip 
leaves 
Thebes. 
Arrives in 
Macedonia 
Confusion. 



Philip ap- 
pointed 
guardian- 



He is made 
king. 



Macedon- 
ian pha- 
lanx. 



and his eldest son, Alexander, was exalted to the throne 
of Macedonia. He only reigned one year, and his brother 
next younger succeeded in taking possession of the throne, 
after some very strong opposition, especially from Pausa- 
nias, who was a relative of the royal family ; but Perdic- 
cas, the legal heir, took the throne, and gave his attention 
to the interests of his government. His youngest brother, 
Philip, was sent down to Thebes to be educated, where he 
improved rapidly under the tuition of the excellent teach- 
ers who were furnished him, and particularly under the in- 
struction given him by Epaminondas, in whose care he was 
placed while in Thebes. It is said that the Thebans did 
not then realize that they were educating the most danger- 
ous enemy of Greece. 

After Philip had spent about ten years in Thebes, and 
had come to be nearly twenty years of age, the news of a 
revolution in Macedonia greeted his ears, when he resolved 
to go "to the assistance of his brother, Perdiccas, who was 
still upon the Macedonian throne. He therefore ran away 
from Thebes, and arrived in Macedonia just as Perdiccas 
had been slain, and he found the government in great con- 
fusion, for Perdiccas had left only an infant son as heir to 
the throne, and the persistent Pausanias was making an- 
other effort to get possession of it. 

As soon as Philip arrived upon the scene, it was ar- 
ranged that he should govern the kingdom, as guardian of 
the infant prince. He did so for a time ; but soon it became 
necessary to have something more than a guardian to con- 
trol their affairs, and the Macedonians placed Philip upon 
the throne, and made him the real king. He ascended the 
throne of Macedonia at the age of twenty-four years, and 
proceeded to adjust the governmental affairs with so much 
coolness and presence of mind, as to surprise and please 
his subjects. He revived their courage, reinstated the 
army, and established the famous Macedonian Phalanx, 
which is said to have been the most choice and well-disci- 
plined body of an army that the world had ever known. 
It was a body of infantry which consisted of sixteen thou- 



134 



THE WORLD'S GEE AT EMPIRES. 



Philip 
over- 
powers his 
northern 
foes. 

Birth of 
Alexander 



Philip de- 
sires to 
possess all 
Greece. 
Takes 
measures 
to accom- 
plish it. 



sand heavily armed troops. They were armed with a 
sword, a shield, and a pike, or spear. The spear was 
twenty-one feet long. 

This phalanx was divided into ten corps, or battalions, 
each containing sixteen hundred men — one hundred in 
rank and sixteen in file. Sometimes the file of sixteen 
was doubled, and sometimes divided, as occasion required, 
so that the phalanx was sometimes thirty-two deep, and 
sometimes only eight ; but its usual depth was sixteen. 
The space between each soldier when marching was six 
feet ; but when they advanced upon the enemy they closed 
to three feet, and sometimes only left a foot and a half 
space between them. As the body moved forward to at- 
tack the enemy, every part of it bristled with spears, and 
its force was dreaded by the opposing army. The soldiers 
behind the fifth rank held their spears raised, but inclining 
a little over the rank in front of them. They could not 
all come to a close engagement with the enemy, but they 
could support those in front with the utmost strength, 
rendering them immovable in an attack, and preventing 
any from retreating who might be disposed to do so, and 
thus bringing them under the necessity of conquering or 
dying ; and it is said that when the soldiers of the phalanx 
preserved their position as a phalanx, and kept their ranks 
in close order, it was impossible for an enemy to sustain 
its force, or to break the body, and it therefore was con- 
sidered invincible. 

The arrangement of the Macedonian phalanx, as stated, 
was accredited to Philip. Philip succeeded in overpowering 
his enemies on the north of Macedonia, and during his efforts 
in that direction there was born to him in the city of Pella, 
his own birthplace, a son, whom he called Alexander, who 
came in after years to be known as Alexander the Great. 

After these northern conquests, Philip began to look 
southward with jealous eyes, desiring to possess himself 
of all Greece, and no sooner had this spark of ambition 
kindled in his soul than he took measures to accomplish 
his designs. 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



135 



His ability 
manifested 



Means 
used. 



Philip op- 
posed by 
Demos- 
thenes. 



Early life 
of Demos- 
thenes. 



He re- 
solves to 
become an 
orator. 
His essay. 



When Philip had decided, if possible, to become sover- 
eign of Greece, his ability as a politician, conqueror, and 
merchant, began to manifest itself in the devising of ways 
and means to promote his designs. He negotiated treaties 
and formed alliances for the purpose of executing his plans ; 
and " he spared neither artifices, open force, presents nor 
promises," in his anxiety and determination to succeed. 
He was a man of policy in the strictest sense, and his 
promises were often made from policy ; and if he found 
that it was for his advantage to break a promise, he, 
through policy, did so ; and proved by his course that he 
had but very little true principle. 

As Philip began to operate against Greece, he came in 
contact with the noted Demosthenes, who, notwithstand- 
ing the weakened and degraded condition of his country- 
men, resolved to do all in his power to arouse them in de- 
fence of their country, and to oppose the Macedonian king 
in his efforts to take possession of their territory. De- 
mosthenes was two years older than Philip, and it is well 
at this point to consider, to some extent, his early history 
and to notice the means by which he came to be in some 
respects the most wonderful orator the world has ever pro- 
duced. He was the son of a blacksmith who lived in mod- 
erate circumstances, and at his death left some means to 
be used in educating Demosthenes, his son. This prop- 
erty was placed in the hands of guardians, who failed to 
meet their obligations, and withheld the means to such an 
extent that the boy suffered in not being able to attend to 
his studies, as he otherwise would have done. When six- 
teen years old he received permission to be present at an 
important trial, where the orator Calistratus was ap- 
pointed to argue the question before the bar, and the 
youth was very much affected by the eloquence and power 
of the speaker, and resolved to become an orator himself; 
and he immediately devoted his time and attention to a 
preparation for the position. His first effort was an essay 
written against his guardians, in which he used such con- 
clusive arguments that he prevailed upon them to pay over 



136 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



First pub- 
lic effort a 
failure. 



"Words of 
encourage- 
ment. 



Second ef- 
fort also a 
failure. 

Satyrus 
comes to 
his rescue. 



Demos- 
thenes suc- 
ceeds. 



A question 
of interest. 



a part of the money belonging to him. Encouraged by 
his success, he decided to appear before the public as a 
speaker ; but at his first appointment the audience hissed 
him, for his voice was weak, and his speech seemed thick, 
and his breath short, while his sentences were of extraor- 
dinary length, and he was therefore obliged to stop in the 
midst of them for respiration ; and all these defects made 
him appear in a ridiculous light, as he came before the 
people claiming to be an orator. He left the stand en- 
tirely discouraged, and resolved to make no further effort 
to become a public speaker. But one of his hearers looked 
beyond his mistakes and defects, and saw that the young 
Athenian had ability, which might be developed by prac- 
tice, and he approached the despairing youth with words 
of encouragement, and told him that he resembled Peri- 
cles somewhat — and the thought that he in any manner re- 
sembled that respected orator, of whom it was said that he 
" thundered and lightened and agitated all Greece with 
his eloquence," revived his spirits, and he decided to try 
again ; and he made a second appointment to speak, but 
with the same sad result as before. As he withdrew from 
the presence of the people in confusion and shame, Satyrus, 
one of the most prominent men of those times, met him 
and assured him that he could, by practice, succeed in mas- 
tering himself, and become a speaker notwithstanding all 
his discouragements. He then gave Demosthenes some 
useful instruction in the art of speaking, especially con- 
cerning tone, gesture, and pronunciation ; and from that 
moment Demosthenes put forth a strenuous effort to con- 
quer all his defects ; and he succeeded so remarkably that 
he finally became one of the most celebrated and eloquent 
speakers of the world's history. 

If a heathen Athenian could accomplish so much through 
rigid discipline in his own strength, what ought the Chris- 
tian to do, with the grace of God pledged to assist him? 

Thus Demosthenes, in the prime of life and in the 
midst of his fame and glory, appeared to oppose Philip 
with his powerfully eloquent reasonings ; and Philip con- 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



137 



Demos- 
thenes' 
arguments 
dreaded. 

Not suffi- 
cient to 
arouse the 
Grecians. 
Their con- 
dition. 



Philip 
finds them 
easily- 
overcome. 
His boast. 



He con- 
sults the 
oracle. 

The in- 
struction 
given. 

Rule ob- 
served. 

His state- 
ments. 



Rulers 
bribed. 
Cities sold. 



More 

pleasure in 
buying a 
city than 
taking it 
by force. 



An inci- 
dent of 
interest. 



fessed that he dreaded the arguments of Demosthenes 
more than all the armies of Greece ; but the mighty elo- 
quence of the Athenian orator, prompted by the energy of 
true public interest, was not sufficient to arouse those in- 
different and pleasure-loving Grecians to action. They 
were in just the condition to allow one like Philip to take 
possession of their territory, and to yield themselves to 
the influence of his money, or, in weakness, to submit to 
his conquering forces ; and Philip, the man of policy and 
merchant-conqueror, succeeded in overpowering all Greece. 
He received the title of ' ' merchant " because he boasted 
that he ' ' conquered more places with money than with 
arms." 

He consulted the oracle of Delphos with reference to 
his proposed expedition, and received the following in- 
struction, — "Make coin thy weapon, and thou sJialt con- 
quer all" By this rule Philip worked in all his operations 
against Greece. He said that he "never forced agate 
until he had tried to open it with a golden key ;" and that 
he did not ' ' consider a fortress impregnable into which a 
mule, laden with silver, could find access." 

Those Grecian rulers were easily bribed, and many of 
Grecia's cities were sold to the Macedonian king by those 
who loved money better than principle ; and it has been 
well stated, that "It was not Philip, but his gold, that sub- 
dued Greece." He rejoiced more when he was able to 
buy a city, than when he was obliged to take it by force of 
arms; because he then had all the honor of the conquest 
himself, while his officers and soldiers must share in the 
credit if they conquered it by force, which would be ex- 
ceedingly unpleasant to his selfish spirit. 

To prepare the way for the subjugation of Thrace, he 
laid siege to Methone, a small city which was liable to 
cause him much trouble, if at any time it should fall into 
the hands of his opposers. He therefore destroyed it. 

During that siege an interesting event occurred, the 
effects of which Philip felt during the remainder of his life. 

A young man by the name of Aster, from Anvphvpo- 



138 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Comment. 



Phoclon 
and his 
work. 



Philip 
overpow- 
ers Greece. 



Anxious to 

subjugate 

Persia. 



lis, offered his service to Philip, representing that he was 
so good a marksman he "could bring down birds on the 
swiftest flight." The Macedonian monarch replied, jeer- 
ingly, "I will employ you when I make war upon star- 
lings" — or, little birds. Young Aster felt insulted, and 
indignantly resolved to be revenged. He therefore en- 
tered the city and shot an arrow, on which was written, 
"To Philip's eight eye," and he gave cruel evidence 
that he was a good marksman, for that arrow pierced the 
" right eye " of Philip, destroying its sight forever. When 
the arrow had been withdrawn, Philip sent it back to its 
owner, bearing the inscription, " When 1 take Methone, / 
will hang up Aster." He did " hang up Aster," but that 
did not restore his lost eye. 

Retaliation never restores that which is lost. 

Philip was not only opposed by Demosthenes, but, as he 
was advancing with his conquests, he came in contact with 
Phocion, an Athenian general, in command of some Athe- 
nian forces, which had, through much effort, been raised 
to operate against the king of Macedonia. Phocion was 
an orator, — a master of eloquence. He said that words 
were like coins, — the most esteemed are those which, with 
less weight, have the most intrinsic value. " He applied 
himself to a lively, close, concise style of speaking, which 
expressed many ideas in a few words." He is said to have 
surpassed even Demosthenes in this respect. 

Phocion not only had an extensive reputation as an ora- 
tor, but also as a general ; and, being favored with ability 
to act in the capacity of both, he was prepared to resist 
Philip to considerable extent. But Phocion and Demos- 
thenes together were not able to prevent the enslavement 
of their country, and the time soon came when Philip, 
or Macedon, swayed the sceptre of all Greece. Every 
Grecian city owned allegiance to him, and the whole coun- 
try, from the Hellespont to the southern boundary of Pelo- 
ponnesus, became the territory of his dominion. 

Having become sovereign of Greece, he aspired to a 
higher position still, and turned his attention to the subju- 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



139 



Appointed 
generalis- 
simo. 



Trouble at 

home. 

Divorces 

his wife. 

Marries 

another. 



He is as- 
sassinated. 
The cause. 



The assas- 
sin. 

Seeks to 
escape. 

Is caught 
and pun- 
ished. 



gation of Persia, and was appointed generalissimo of the 
Grecians against the Persians ; and in this capacity he 
prepared to invade that mighty empire, elated with the 
prospect of becoming the monarch of Asia. 

But while everything looked cheerful and glorious for 
Philip, in view of his contemplated expedition, he was in- 
volved in trouble at home in his own family. He divorced 
his wife Olynvpias, the mother of Alexander, and mar- 
ried Cleopatra, a very young woman, whose beauty had 
enraptured Philip, and this caused Alexander to become 
the bitter enemy of his own f oilier; and he took his 
mother, who had been so shamefully abused, into his own 
special care. 

The marriage of Philip and Cleopatra was celebrated 
with great pomp ; but in the midst of those festive scenes 
Philip was stabbed with a dagger, and fell dead at the feet 
of the assassin who struck the fatal blow. The murderer 
was a young Macedonian nobleman by the name of Pausa- 
nias, who had been insulted by Attalus, the uncle of Cleo- 
patra, and he had made known the circumstances to Philip, 
with an appeal to the king for vengeance ; but Philip was 
unwilling to offend Attalus, on account of Cleopatra, and 
therefore refused to avenge the wrong, and, to appease 
the ano-er of Pausanias he had ' ' made him one of the chief 
officers of his life-guard ; " but Pausanias was determined 
to have revenge in some way, and, becoming thoroughly 
disgusted with Philip's dishonorable course, he resolved to 
wreak his vengeance upon him, and chose to slay him in a 
manner to make his vengeance as conspicuous as possible. 
Pausanias had horses in readiness to make his escape as 
soon as the bloody deed was done ; but an accident oc- 
curred which brought him under the power of those who 
pursued him, and he was immediately torn in pieces, with- 
out trial or sentence. But this mob-execution of Pausa- 
nias did not restore the life of Philip. He had fallen, to 
remain under the power of an enemy whose firm grasp 
could not be unloosed by the vindictive power of his ex- 
cited avengers. 



140 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Philip died 
at the age 
of 47. 

Reigned 24 
years. 
Arses, 
king of 
Persia, dies 
Good and 
had quali- 
ties. 



Interesting 
incidents 
in his life. 



Alexander 

succeeds 

Philip. 

Age20yrs. 

Darius Co- 
domanus 
iii Persia. 



Philip was forty-seven years old when he died. 

He had reigned twenty-four years. 

Arses, the twelfth, king of Persia, died that same 
year. 

Philip, without art or disguise, possessed both good and 
bad qualities ; and though the good was so much obscured 
by the bad that it was almost impossible to realize that 
there was any good in him, yet we learn that even he said 
and did some noble things. He is said to have thanked 
the Athenian orators for having corrected his errors, by 
frequently reproaching him with them. He was possessed 
of the most wonderful self-control, even when addressed 
in the most shocking and abusive language. It is related 
that, at the close of an audience which he gave to some 
Athenian ambassadors on a certain occasion, he asked if 
lie could do them any service, and Demosthenes, his 
sworn enemy, said: "The greatest service you could do 
us would be to hang yourself," when Philip calmly replied : 
*' Go, tell your superiors, that those who dare make use of 
such insolent language are more haughty, and less peace- 
ably inclined, than they who can forgive them." 

This ambitious and fame-loving ruler was strongly in 
favor of educational interests, and showed great respect to 
those who devoted their time to the instruction of the 
youth, as may be seen from the following incident, — 

When his son Alexander was born, he wrote to the 
celebrated Aristotle, who was the most popular rhetori- 
cian that antiquity boasts of, and said : "I rejoice, not so 
much that I have a son born, as that he was born in the 
days of Aristotle ; " and he engaged Aristotle to be the 
teacher of his son, and placed Alexander, at an early age, 
under his tuition. 

When Philip died, this son Alexander, who was after- 
ward surnamed "The Great," succeeded to the throne of 
Macedonia, at the age of twenty years. 

Darius Codomanus, the last king of Persia, was exalted 
to the throne of that empire that same year. 

As we are now to trace quite extensively the history of 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



141 



The histo- 
ry of Alex- 
ander to be 
traced. 



Tuition of 
Aristotle. 



His in- 
struction. 



His milita- 
ry ambi- 
tion in 
early life. 



Feats of 

dexterity 

despised. 

An inter- 
esting inci- 
dent illus- 
trative of 
his position 
concerning 
such things 



Alexander the Great, it is well to notice some of the 
events of his early life which transpired before he came 
upon the Macedonian throne, that we may better appre- 
ciate his wonderful career, and more sadly regret its sud- 
den and disgraceful termination. 

As already stated, the boy, Alexander, was placed under 
the tuition of Aristotle very early in life, and that remark- 
able philosopher gave special attention to the education 
of the prospective king of Macedonia, and he was thor- 
oughly instructed in all the different branches of science 
and art, as well as in military discipline. He learned mu- 
sic and read the Homeric poems, which Aristotle prepared 
for him, with great interest, and he prized them so highly 
that he kept them in the golden case and slept with them 
under his pillow, as noticed before. The best principles 
were instilled into his mind, which, if he had observed 
them in after life, would have saved him from an untimely 
grave. 

His military ambition began to be manifest very early ; 
for, when only a boy, and while his father was engaged in 
making his conquests, Alexander always seemed sad when 
he heard of a victory gained by his father, and said often 
to his associates : ' ' Father is going to conquer all, and 
leave nothing for us to do." 

In his early life, this young Macedonian despised low 
feats of dexterity and manifestations of skill which were 
practised to no profit. At one time, some Macedonians 
became very much excited over the skillful operation of 
one of their number, who had practised throwing peas 
through the eye of an instrument in the form of a needle, 
until he could throw them through the eye, one after an- 
other, from quite a distance, without missing; and they 
called the attention of Alexander to the marvellous work. 
He watched the wonderful performer for a short time, and 
then presented him, as a suitable reward for all his labor 
and acquired skill, simply a basket of peas; thereby show- 
ing with what disdain he looked upon that worse than use- 
less work. 



142 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Practical 
remark. 



Alexander 
in trouble. 
The occa- 
sion of it. 



Demos- 
thenes ap- 
pears to 
oppose the 
new king. 



Calls 

Alexander 
a hair- 
brained 
boy. 

Alexander 
conquers 
his nor- 
thern foes. 
Marches 
upon 
' Greece. 

Proves 
himself a 
man in- 
stead of a 
boy. 



The world is full to-day of these skilled practitioners ; 
who are too lazy to work, and are supported by the ex- 
cited throngs, who pay their money and assemble in masses 
to. laugh and wonder at the marvellous proceedings of 
those who bring them no good. There are but few who, 
like Alexander, place a just estimate upon such foolish- 
ness. 

The story of Alexander and his favorite horse, Buce- 
phalus, is familiar to all, and we will not relate it, but 
will turn our attention from the boy, to the king upon the 
throne of Macedonia. 

Upon the accession of Alexander to the throne, he was 
surrounded with great danger, for the nations against whom 
Philip had fought, and over whom he had gained victory 
and authority, and had united their domains to his own, 
took advantage of his sudden death and attempted to re- 
gain their liberty. Though Philip had subdued all Greece 
by his policy and arms, he had not had time to accustom 
the people to his rule, and though vanquished, their minds 
were not fully in subjection to his control, and as soon as 
he was dead there was great excitement, and an effort made 
to again arouse the people to stand for the interests of 
Greece, against the successor of Philip. Demosthenes' 
eloquent strains fell once more upon the ears of his coun- 
trymen, urging them to action ; telling them that they had 
nothing to fear from Alexander, the new king of Mace- 
donia, representing him as " a hair-brained boy," who 
Avould not " dare to venture beyond his own kingdom," 
and Would " think himself happy if permitted to sit un- 
disturbed upon his Macedonian throne." But when Alex- 
ander had succeeded in vanquishing his enemies in the 
north, to whom his attention was first turned, he immedi- 
ately inarched his forces towards Greece. He passed the 
strait of Thermopylae in his onward movement, and as he 
advanced upon Athens he said : " Demosthenes has called 
me a ' hair-brained boy ;' but I will show him before the 
walls of Athens that I am a man.'" 

And, " before the walls of Athens," and of every other 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



143 



Conquers 
Greece. 



Not satis- 
fied. 



Ambitious 
to conquer 
the Per- 
sians. 



Something 
must be 
done. 



An assem- 
bly called. 

Its object. 



Grave 
question. 



The result 
of the de- 
cision. 



Alexander 

appointed 

generalisi- 



city, he proved to the astonished Grecians that a man, of 
wonderful military ability and mighty power, was destined 
to bring their country again into subjection. 

Alexander moved swiftly onward in his conquests, until 
all Greece bowed under the sway of his sceptre, and he 
triumphed victoriously over all his opposers. 

But this was not enough. The fire of ambition had only 
commenced to burn in his soul, and his whole being had 
just become sufficiently warmed for future action. 

He looked across the JEgean Sea to the Empire of the 
Persians, and in the interests of Greece he was stirred 
with feelings of revenge for past injuries, and in his own 
personal interest, he was thrilled with the aspiration to be- 
come THE MONARCH OF THE WORLD. 

Something must be done to avenge the wrong which had 
so long been waiting for its just redress, and some steps 
must be taken to place the aspiring son of Philip in a posi- 
tion to accomplish the desired object of adding the realm 
of Persia to that already under his control, or Alexander 
would never be satisfied. 

He therefore called an assembly at Corinth. It was com- 
posed of representative men from the different states and 
cities of Greece. It was called for the purpose of obtain- 
ing an appointment to the same office his father had been 
chosen to fill just before his death, that of generalisimo, or 
Commander-in-Chief, over all the Grecians, to operate 
against the Persians and break down their government. 

The question before that assembly was of the most grave 
and important character. Rollin saj^s : " No diet ever 
debated a more important subject." And he says further : 
4 ' It was the Western World planning the ruin of 
the Eastern." 

The decision of that assembly gave rise to events which 
revolutionized the world, and resulted in the establishment 
of the Third Universal Empire. 

Alexander was appointed generalisimo over the Grecians, 
against the much hated Persians. 

After the election, the most prominent men from the 



144 THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 

different localities came to congratulate him upon his ex- 
altation to the office, and to wish him success in his pros- 
pective expedition into Persia. But there was one man 
then in Corinth who was as noted in his way as any other, 
but who did not come to express his interest in the promo- 
tion of Alexander. That man was Diogenes, of Synope ; 
that philosopher who " lived in a tub," and who, on one 
occasion, went about the streets of Athens in broad day- 
light with a lighted lantern, saying, " I seek an honest 
man." 

When questioned why he did not appear, with others, 
to greet the man who was to march their forces against the 
enemy of their country, he said, he thought it " better to 
wait until one had done something worthy of congratula- 
tion, than to congratulate him when first exalted to the 
office." 

Alexander noticed his absence, and having a desire to 
see one who had so much independence of mind, went in 
company with several of his officers to see the philoso- 
pher. They found him lying upon the ground in the sun, 
apparently in extreme poverty ; and as the great general 
with his attendants approached him, he sat up and fixed 
his eyes upon Alexander. The tender feelings of the 
Macedonian were moved to pity for the poor, lone philos- 
opher, and he said kindly : "Is there anything that I can 
do for you?" "Yes," said Diogenes, "you can stand a 
little out of my sunshine," thus giving the destined mon- 
arch of the world to understand that the rays of the sun 
were of more consequence to the resident of the tub than 
his august presence. 

The officers of Alexander were indignant at the answer 
of Diogenes ; but Alexander himself admired his spirit, 
and said, "Were I not Alexander, I would be Diogenes." 
Alexander Alexander repaired directly to Dium, in Macedonia, to 

plan and arrange his contemplated expedition, and while 
offering sacrifice to the gods and imploring their protec- 
tion and assistance in this great enterprise, as was custo- 
mary with all those heathen rulers, he claimed to have a 



at Dium. 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



145 



His vision. 



He march- 
es towards 
the east. 

Descrip- 
tion of his 
army. 



His youth- 
ful appear- 
ance 
marked. 
His ability 
more 
marked. 



Marches to 
the Helles- 
pont. 
Crosses 
into Asia. 
Takes 
Troy. 

Marches to 
the Grani- 
cus. 

Meets the 
foe. 



Persians 
under 
Memnon. 
Their in- 
structions. 



vision, in which he saw one of peculiar dress and deport- 
ment, who told him that he should be successful in his ef- 
forts against the Persians. This was much to his encour- 
agement ; and we shall realize the force of this vision 
more fully hereafter. 

When his arrangements were completed, Alexander, at 
the head of his thoroughly organized and magnificent 
army, began his march toward the East. That army was 
not noted for great numbers ; but it was noted for the char- 
acter and discipline of its men. It consisted of only about 
thirty thousand footmen, or infantry, and four or five 
thousand horsemen, or cavalry ; but every one of the sol- 
diers was capable of commanding the forces in case of 
emergency. The most of the officers were about sixty 
years of age, and when drawn up at headquarters pre- 
sented the appearance of a venerable senate. 

Alexander, the commander-in-chief of this superior 
army, was scarcely twenty-three years of age, and his 
youthful appearance at the head of such a body of men 
must have been very marked ; but his ability was more 
marked than his appearance, as was displayed in his choice 
of men to command the different divisions of his army, 
and in the wonderful skill with which he took the general 
oversight and command of the whole. 

Alexander marched his forces to the Hellespont, and 
crossed that strait, landing his forces upon Asiatic soil, 
preparatory to the invasion of the Great Persian Em- 
pire. He advanced to the city of Troy, and easily took 
possession of it ; then he marched to the river Granicus, 
where he met the enemy for the first time. The army of 
the Persian king was drawn up on the opposite bank of 
that river, to oppose the progress farther into the Persian 
dominion. 

Darius was not there in person. He had sent his army 
forward under the command of Memnon, his principal 
general, with instructions not to risk a battle with the on- 
coming foe, but to lay waste the plains and desolate the 
cities, so as to prevent the army of Alexander from finding 



146 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Parmenio's 
advice. 



Not heeded. 



Conflict 
dreaded. 

Grecians 

ordered 

forward. 

Command 
obeyed. 
They cross 
the river. 



Alexander 
advances 
to Sardis. 

Citizens 
surrender. 



Takes 
Ephesus. 

Miletus 
and its 
siege. 



provisions sufficient for its support, and, consequently, to 
oblige him to return to Europe. But, as the two armies 
were brought face to face, with only the narrow river be- 
tween them, it was evident that an engagement must ensue. 

As Alexander with his valiant army approached the 
river's brink, Parmenio, his highest officer, taking in the 
whole situation at a glance, advised his commander and 
king to " encamp in order of battle," and give his forces 
time to rest from the weariness of their march, and not to 
attempt the passage of the river until the next morning, 
at least ; representing that it was too dangerous an under- 
taking to attempt to cross that river in the face of the 
enemy, as its waters were deep, and its banks very steep 
and craggy. He argued that much depended upon their 
first action ; and if it should prove disastrous, it would 
blight their future prospects. 

This reasoning, however, had no effect upon Alexander. 
Fully bent upon the accomplishment of his design, he de- 
clared that ' ' it would be a disgrace for him to turn back 
for a rivulet, after he had crossed the Hellespont." 

The two armies continued for a time watching each other 
from the opposite banks, as though dreading a conflict ; 
but soon the order was given by the Macedonian com- 
mander, Forward ! and, as it echoed through the lines, 
every officer and soldier was thrilled with excitement, and 
hastened to obey the command, and that army dashed 
into the dark waters and succeeded in landing on the op- 
posite shore. The enemy, being seized with a panic, fled 
before the Grecian hosts. 

Alexander advanced to Sardis, the principal Persian 
city in Asia Minor, and found the citizens ready to sur- 
render to his power. He made them tributary to himself, 
but permitted them to dwell quietly in their city, and to 
be governed by their own laws. 

Four days after this event he reached the city of Ephe- 
sus, which he took possession of, and then marched to 
Miletus, to find its gates closed against him ; for Memnon 
had taken possession of it to defend it against Alexander. 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



147 



Marches to 

Helicar- 

nassus. 

Stoutly re- 
sisted. 



He is suc- 
cessful. 



His route 
traced. 



His bath in 
the river 
Cydnus. 
Its result. 
Skill of his 
physician. 



A strong and vigorous effort was made by Alexander and 
his forces to take it, until the besieged city capitulated, fear- 
ing they would be taken by storm. The conqueror treated 
them with great kindness, with the exception of the for- 
eigners who were found in it, whom he sold as slaves. 

After taking Miletus, he marched into Caria and laid 
laid siege to Halicarnassus, which was very difficult to 
take, because of its situation and its strong garrison. The 
ablest and most valiant of Darius' commanders had entered 
it with a body of choice soldiers for the purpose of defend- 
ing it against the approaching enemy ; and Alexander 
found it one of the most difficult places to take possession 
of in all his experience ; but he was finally successful in 
taking it. He then marched his army along the coast of 
Caria and Lycia, taking possession of the cities of Calinda, 
Patara, and Phaselis. From thence he passed into Pam- 
phylia, and moved along its coast to the city of Side ; 
then, changing his route, he advanced into Phrygia, and 
took the city of Celena, on the river Marsyas, and then 
marched northward to the city of Gordiom, situated on the 
river Sangarius. After taking the city of Gordiom, Alex- 
ander marched his troops into Galatia ; reducing that prov- 
ince, he crossed the river Halys into Cappadocia, where 
he again crossed that river, as, in its meandering course, it 
appeared once more in his way ; then, crossing the Athar 
mountain, he marched onward to the mountains of Taurus 
and came to the pass of Cilicia, through which he led his 
army into the province of Cilicia and reached the city of 
Tarsus, which was afterwards the birth-place of Saul, who 
finally was called Paul. He arrived at Tarsus just as the 
Persians had set fire to it, — choosing rather to destroy it 
thus than to permit it to fall into the hands of their enemy. 
But Alexander, with his forces, was just in season to quench 
the flames and save the city. 

Alexander being very much heated with his forced march, 
plunged into the river Cydnus for a refreshing bath, and 
came near losing his life in consequence ; but, through the 
skill of his trusty physician, he was soon restored to his 



148 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Again on 
the march. 



Issus. 

Meets 
Darius. 



Prepara- 
tions of 
Darius. 
He is con- 
gratulated. 



Caridemus 
questioned 



His reply. 



Loses his 
life. 

His words 
live. 

Battle of 
Issus in 
333 B.C. 



The battle. 



coveted position at the head of his army, and was again on 
the march, as though nothing had occurred to hinder his 
work. 

Marching his troops eastward, he came in contact with 
the Persians at Issus, where the second great battle was 
fought, known as the battle of Issus. Here he met Darius 
in person, who, at the head of a numerous army, appeared 
to contend with Alexander ; and the skill of the two com- 
manders was to be tested in a sharper conflict than they 
had ever experienced before. 

Darius had made great preparations to vanquish his 
enemy, and was congratulated by many of his officers be- 
forehand upon the victory he would soon gain. He then 
turned to an Athenian, a man of great experience in war, 
named Caridemus, who had been banished from Greece 
by Alexander before he commenced his operations against 
the Persians, and asked "whether he considered him pow- 
erful enough to defeat his enemy?" Caridemus, though a 
bitter enemy to Alexander, made the following reply : ' 'Pos- 
sibly you may not be pleased with me for telling you the 
truth ; but if I do not do so now, it will be too late hereafter. 
This mighty parade of war, — this prodigious number of 
men which has drained all the East, — might indeed be for- 
midable to your neighbors. Gold and purple shine in 
every part of your army ; which is so excessively splendid 
that those who have not seen it could never form an idea 
of its magnificence. But the soldiers who compose the 
Macedonian army, terrible to behold, and bristling in 
every part with arms, do not amuse themselves with such 
idle show." He thus showed the Persian king that he 
might have more difficulty in conquering his foe than he 
had anticipated. And though Caridemus lost his life for 
thus freely expressing his mind, his words lived to con- 
front Darius on the plains of Issus. 

In the month of October, 333 B.C., the two armies 
were drawn up to contend for the desired victory, and the 
famous battle of Issus was fought. 

The contest was sharp, the battle terrific ; and for a time 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



149 



Loses 
110,000 
men. 

Alexander 
loses 450. 



The family 
of Darius 
prisoners. 



Darius not 
humbled. 

Writes a 
haughty 
letter. 



it was uncertain which would be victorious ; but at length 
the Persian lines broke, and Darius fled with his disor- 
dered army, and retreated to safer quarters, leaving one 
hundred and ten thousand of his men dead upon the field, 
while Alexander lost only four hundred and fifty men 
in all. 

The mother, wife, and children of Darius, were left be- 
hind in the power of Alexander, with many others who 
had been taken prisoners. But Darius, with all his mis- 
fortunes, did not forget his dignity as king, nor lose the 
high spirit which had always possessed him. He was de- 
feated, but not humbled ; as was soon proved by a haughty 
and independent letter which he addressed to Alexander, 
demanding the terms upon which he could obtain his 
family. 

That letter is as follows : — 



The letter. 



DARIUS, THE KING. 

To Alexander. 



I wish you to fix a price for the 
redemption of my mother, wife, and children, that I may redeem them. 

With reference to the empire, as to whom it shall belong, we will 
decide that in a general battle, with an equal number of soldiers on 
either side ; but if you are capable of receiving counsel, I would ad- 
vise you to return to Europe, and be content with the kingdom of your 
ancestors, and not to invade the territory of another. From hence- 
forth let us live as friends, and faithful allies. 

I, myself, am ready to swear to the observance of these articles, and 
to receive your oath. 



Its effect 
upon Alex- 
ander. 



On the receipt of this letter, Alexander -was stirred. 
His haughty spirit would not submit to any such proposi- 
tions as were made by Darius. It would be acknowledg- 
ing one whom he had defeated as a superior. He therefore 
replied to the letter of Darius in a manner to show that 
he was not to be trifled with, and that he did not recognize 
a superior. 

The following is the letter of response, written by Alex- 
ander to Darius : — 



150 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Alexan- 
der's reply. 



ALEXANDER, THE KING: 

To Darius : — 

The ancient Darius, whose name you assume, in former times en- 
tirely ruined the Greeks who inhabited the coasts of the Hellespont, 
and the Ionians, our ancient colonies. He next crossed the sea, at the 
head of a powerful army, and carried the war into the very heart of 
Macedon and Greece. After him, Xerxes made another descent, with 
an immense number of barbarians, in order to fight us ; and, having 
been overcome in a naval engagement, he left in Greece, at his retir- 
ing, Mardonius, who plundered our cities and laid waste our plains. 
And who has not heard that Philip, my father, was assassinated by 
wretches suborned thereto by your partisans, in hopes of a great re- 
ward? For it is customary with the Persians to undertake impious 
wars; and, when armed in the field, to set a price upon the heads of 
their enemies. And even you, yourself, though at the head of a vast 
army, promised a thousand talents to any person who should kill me. 
I therefore only defend myself; and, consequently, am not the aggres- 
sor. And, indeed, the gods, who always declare for the just cause, 
have favored my arms ; and, aided by their protection, I have subjected 
a great part of Asia, and defeated yon, Darius, in a pitched battle. . 

And now, though I ought not to grant any request you make, be- 
cause you have conducted so unfairly in this war, yet, if you will come 
as a supplicant and ask for them, I give you my word that I will re- 
store to you your mother, wife, and children, without price. If you 
are afraid of surrendering yourself to me by so doing, I will assure 
you, upon my honor, that you may do it without the least danger; but 
remember, when you have occasion to write to me again, that you ad- 
dress not only a king, but your king. 



Alexander 

marches 

southward 

TheSidoni- 
ans submit 
to him. 
Their local 
king Strato 



Deposed. 

Hephses- 
tion. 



The crown 
otfered to 
two broth- 
ers. 



After the battle of Issus, Alexander marched his troops 
southward through the country of Syria, easily subjugating 
all its cities except Tyre. The Sidonians submitted to him 
without opposition, even when their local king, Strato, 
was still loyal to Darius, to whom they were tributary. 
The Persians had abused them in such a manner, that they 
were glad of the opportunity to throw off their yoke, even 
by placing themselves under that of another. Alexander 
deposed Strato, and then gave his special friend, Heph- 
jestion, a Macedonian, the privilege of appointing a king 
to rule the Sidonians. 

This favorite was being entertained at the house of two 
brothers, young men who belonged to the first family in 
the city, and he offered the crown to them ; but they re- 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



151 



Not accept- 
ed. 



Abdolony- 
mus. 



Saluted 
king. 



Inhabit- 
ants 
pleased, 
except 
some of the 
rich. 



Abdolony- 
mus in the 
presence of 
Alexander 



Question. 



Answer. 



fused to accept it, They said that, according to their 
laws, no person could ascend the throne unless he were of 
royal blood ; and therefore they could not consent, as they 
were not royal. Hephgestion admired the noble principle 
which actuated them, and said : " Continue in this way of 
thinking, that it is more glorious to refuse a diadem than 
to accept it." He then requested them to name some per- 
son of the royal family who might remember, when he was 
king, that they had placed the crown upon his head. 

The brothers declared that they knew of no one more 
worthy of the diadem than Abdolonymus, a distant de- 
scendant of the royal family, who was so poor that he was 
obliged to depend upon his daily earnings for support. 
He was a gardener, just outside the city ; but his honesty 
and integrity were noted, and so won for him the office of 
a king. 

The two brothers, carrying the royal garments, went in 
pursuit of Abdolonymus, and found him weeding his gar- 
den when they saluted him as king ; and, though surprised 
at their choice, he changed his gardener's suit for the royal 
robes of a king, and was immediately conducted to the 
palace. 

The news soon spread over the entire city, and most of 
the inhabitants were highly pleased with the appointment ; 
but some of the rich endeavored to reproach him because 
of his former poverty, and could not refrain from mani- 
festing their dissatisfaction in the king's court. 

Alexander commanded the newly-elected king to be 
brought into his presence ; and, after surveying him care- 
fully, he said : "Your air and mien do not contradict what 
is related of your extraction ; but I should be glad to know 
with what frame of mind you have been able to bear your 
poverty?" Abdolonymus replied : "I would to the gods 
that I might bear this crown with equal patience. These 
hands have procured me all I desired ; and while I possessed 
nothing, I wanted nothing." 

This answer caused Alexander to have an exalted idea 
of his virtue, and he gave into his hands all the rich fur- 



152 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Alexander 
lays siege 
to Tyre. 



Not old 
Tyre. 



New Tyre. 



Difficult to 
take. 



Siege long, 
but he tri- 
umphed at 
last. 



Lasted six 
months. 
Provisions 
exhausted. 



Sends to 
Samaria 
for sup- 
plies. 



Also to Je- 
rusalem. 



rnture which had belonged to the former king, and gave 
him dominion over one of the neighboring provinces, which 
he annexed to Sidon. 

Alexander having adjusted the affairs of Sidon, advanced 
to Tyre, and laid siege to that city. 

"We stated in our first lecture that Nebuchadnezzar de- 
stroyed the city of Tyre. That was old Tyre, which 
stood on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea, just south 
of Sidon. After that destruction, the citizens who were 
left alive went out a little way from the shore, to an island 
just opposite to the site of old Tyre, and built a city which 
was called New Tyre. 

This city was surrounded by water, and also by a strong 
wall, which was one hundred and fifty feet high. 

It was this new city of Tyre that Alexander laid siege 
to, after taking Sidon. 

It was strongly fortified, and in every respect calculated 
to resist the mighty conqueror, whose fame had spread 
over the world, and whose efforts but few dared to op- 
pose. 

The location of the city, the valor of the inhabitants, 
and powerful assistance received from Carthage, made his 
prospects of becoming possessed of its treasures, and of 
subjugating it to himself, dark indeed. 

The siege was long and bloody, and at times even Alex- 
ander despaired of accomplishing his design ; and, yet, 
he did not desist until he triumphed, even over that proud 
and stubborn, city-of-the-sea. 

While engaged in that fearful siege, which lasted six 
months, his provisions were exhausted, and it became nec- 
essary to procure means for the support of his army from 
some source ; for his men could not fight unless they had 
something to eat. He therefore sent down to Samaria and 
demanded supplies. The Samaritans, though tributary to 
Darius, did not hesitate to respond ; and, according to the 
demand, sent what provisions they were able to furnish, 
to support the army of the invader. But this was soon 
consumed by the hungry fighters, and he then sent to Je- 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



153 



Jerusalem 
rebuilt. 



Jaddus the 

High 

Priest. 



He refuses 
Alexander 



He threat- 
ens to de- 
stroy Jeru- 
salem. 



The condi- 
tion of the 
Jews. 



They look 
to God. 



He makes 
known to 
them what 
to do. 
The Sa- 
maritans 
rejoice. 



rusalem and demanded of the Jews that they send him 
provisions for the support of his forces. 

Jerusalem having been rebuilt, the Jews were located 
there under their own laws, but were tributary to the Per- 
sian king. 

At this time the Jews were governed by Jaddus, the 
High Priest, who was a man of principle, and deeply de- 
voted to the service of God ; and he would not sacrifice 
principle, even to save himself or his city. 

When, therefore, Alexander sent to him for supplies, he 
was refused ; for Jaddus claimed that, as he was a vassal 
of Darius, he had no right to assist the enemy of that 
king. When the fact of this refusal of the Jewish High 
Priest reached Alexander, that proud-spirited monarch- 
general was indignant, and vehemently declared that as 
soon as he had conquered Tyre, he would march against 
Jerusalem, and cause it to suffer the same fate of that 
proud city of the Tyrians. 

The threat of the man of terror was borne to the ears of 
the Priest of God, who, with his people, carefully considered 
their position, and fully realized the threatened calamity. 

They were in no condition to resist so powerful a foe, 
who, fired by a purpose of revenge, would prove more 
terrible in his work against them than he would even under 
ordinary circumstances. 

Their walls would be no barrier in his way, and their 
men were in no way qualified to defend their city. 

From the midst of the darkness and discouragements 
which surrounded them, however, they looked to ONE 
whose All-mighty arm had often been made bare to de- 
fend his people against their mighty oppose rs, and as their 
prayers ascended to the throne of the MONAKCH op the 
UNIVEKSE, the GOD of HEAVEN appeared to protect 
and defend them against the one who threatened their de- 
struction ; and He made known to Jaddus what course to 
pursue, as Alexander should advance upon them. 

The Samaritans, who, as we have noticed, were bitter 
enemies of the Jews, rejoiced because of the threat of 



154 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Alexander 
marches 
toward Je- 
rusalem. 



Met by a 

peculiar 

procession. 



Descrip- 
tion of that 
procession. 



Alexander 
as he 
comes in 
contact 
with it. 



Alexander, and impatiently waited for the walls of Tyre 
to fail, and his conquest to be made over that city, that 
their eyes might feast upon the destruction of the long- 
hated city-of -the- Jews. 

The work at Tyre was finally accomplished, and that city 
of boasted wealth and glory was brought level with the 
ground ; and, then, Alexander proudly turned his re- 
vengeful steps towards Jerusalem, fully determined to 
execute his threat to destroy that city, whose ruler had 
dared to refuse him supplies. But as the mighty forces of 
Alexander marched onward under the blazing banners of 
their leader, to accomplish the destruction of the Jewish 
city, they were met by a peculiarly interesting procession ; 
for the Jews had been careful to follow the direction of 
God, which had been given in answer to prayer, and Jad- 
dus, the High Priest, clad in his pontifical robes, with his 
mitre upon his forehead, and the name, GOD, gleaming 
in letters of gold upon the mitre, followed by all of the 
ordinary priests, dressed in their priestly garments, and the 
other Jews clothed in white, emerged from the city, and 
wended their way to the heights of Sapha, to meet the 
on-coming destroyer. 

The Samaritans watched their movements in surprise, 
wondering at their daring, and yet rejoicing that they 
seemed to be in haste to place themselves in the way of 
being crushed by the power of the enemy. But, to their 
surprise, when the keen, flashing eyes of Alexander rested 
upon that High Priest, who courageously and solemnly led 
forth his unarmed forces to meet the glittering spears and 
cruel implements of war, in the hands of those thoroughly 
disciplined Grecian soldiers, his proud step faltered ; and 
as he read the wonderful NAME which glittered in gold 
upon the mitre of the Priest, his stern features relaxed, 
and his whole appearance was changed. He advanced 
towards that threatened ruler of the Jews, and greeted 
him with profound respect, and he bowed in adoration be- 
fore that NAME. 

Those who had been watching and anxiously waiting to 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



155 



The sur- 
prise of the 
Samari- 
tans and 
of others. 

Alexander 
questioned 

His reply. 



He em- 
braces the 
Hi S h 
Priest. 
Conducted 
into Jeru- 
salem. 



He is 
shown the 
prophecies 
concern- 
ing himself 



He grants 
special fa- 
vor to the 
Jews. 



witness the destruction of the Jews, were thunderstruck, 
and the officers of the mighty conqueror were filled with 
astonishment at his course. 

' 'What does this mean ?" asked Parmenio. ' 'Why do you, 
in your elevated position, bow in adoration to the High 
Priest of the Jews ?" Alexander replied, " I do not adore 
the High Priest, but the GOD whose minister he is, and 
whose name shines upon his mitre ; and I have occasion to 
thus honor that name ; for when I was in Dium, in Mace- 
donia, planning this Persian expedition, with my mind 
greatly exercised concerning the best course to pursue, and 
feeling anxious as to the final result, I had a vision, and in 
that vision this very man, dressed in these same robes, 
and wearing this very NAME upon his forehead, appeared 
before me, and told me to have no fears, but to cross the 
Hellespont boldly, and to be assured that God would 
march at the head of my army, and give me the victory 
over the Persians ; and the moment I saw this High Priest, 
I recognized him as the one I saw in the vision. This is 
why I have, with feelings of adoration, humbled myself 
before his GOD." Alexander then embraced Jaddus and 
his brethren, and allowed himself to be conducted into 
their city, and, under the direction of the High Priest, he 
offered devotions to God in the Temple. 

Then that High Priest took the Old Testament Scrip- 
tures, and in the book of Daniel, showed Alexander the 
statements of prophecy which related to himself and his 
conquests ; the very same prophetic representations to 
which we shall call attention at the close of this lecture. 

Before leaving Jerusalem, Alexander called the Jews 
together, and assured them that he would grant them any 
favor that they might desire ; and they asked to be allowed 
to live according to the laws of their ancestors, and to be 
exempted every seventh year from paying their tribute ; 
for as they were required by their laws not to sow their 
fields on that seventh year, they would have nothing with 
which to pay tribute. Alexander granted this request, 
and showed favor to the Jews wherever he found them. 



156 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Beaches 
Pelusium. 



Marches to 
Memphis. 
Temple of 
Jupiter- 
Ammon. 



Origin of 

Jupiter- 

Ammon. 



Object of 
Alexan- 
der's visit. 



Marches 
down the 

Nile. 

Coasts 
along the 

sea. 



Decides to 
build a city 



Dinocrates 
does the 
work. 

Called Al- 
exandria. 



He then marched to Gaza, and reduced it by siege ; 
and, leaving it garrisoned, he turned the force of his arms 
towards Egypt. In seven days he reached Pelusium, 
where he found a large number of Egyptians assembled to 
receive him as their sovereign. They hated the Persians 
so much that they hailed with joy any one who was likely 
to rescue them from Persian rule ; and Alexander easily 
took possession of all Egypt, because of the readiness of 
the people to acknowledge him as their monarch. 

From Pelusium he marched to Memphis, and then to 
the temple of Jupiter- Ammon, in the desert of Libya, 
now known as the desert of Sahara. 

As we stated in our first lecture, the Egyptians and 
Libyans were descendants of Ham, the third son of Noah. 
After a time, Ham, the fountain from which these nations 
sprang, was deified by them, and worshipped as Hammon, 
or Ammon. The Greeks called him Zeus, but his Roman 
name was Jupiter ; and after a time the two names, Ju- 
piter and Amnion, were united, and he was worshipped as 
Jupiter-Ammon. A temple was erected for the worship 
of this god upon an oasis, or fertile spot, in the desert of 
Libya, and there the people assembled to offer their devo- 
tions to deified Ham. 

Toward that important place of heathen worship Alex- 
ander led his troops, that he might receive the title, " Son 
of Jupiter." 

He marched his army from Memphis down the Nile to 
its western arm ; then followed that, in its course, until 
he came to the sea. Coasting along the shore of the Med- 
iterranean, he came to a spot just opposite to the island of 
Pharos, which he thought a favorable location for a city, 
and there he decided to build one. He designed the plan 
of it himself, and marked the places where temples should 
be erected, and located the public squares. He employed 
Dinocrates to do the work, the architect who had rebuilt 
the temple of Diana at Ephesus, and thereby gained a 
great reputation. 

This city he called Alexandria, after his own name ; 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



157 



Reaches 
the temple. 



Obtains the 
title, Son of 
Jupiter- 
Ammon. 

Returns to 
Memphis. 
Adjusts the 
affairs of 
Egypt. 



Turns to- 
ward the 
East. 
Pursues 
Darius. 



Marches to 
Pelusium. 
To Tyre 
and Da- 
mascus. 
Thapsacus 
Crosses the 
Euphrates. 



Fords the 
Tigris. 



and it came, in a little while, to be one of the most noted 
cities in the world, and is in existence even to-day. 

Having satisfied his ambition in that direction, he pro- 
ceeded on his way towards the temple of the desert, which 
he succeeded in reaching after a long, tedious march, which 
occasioned much suffering to his soldiers. He succeeded 
in obtaining the much-coveted title from the priests of 
Jupiter- Ammon, and from that time he signed all his let- 
ters, orders, and decrees : Alexander, King, Son oe 
Jupiter- Ammon. 

Alexander returned to Memphis, and spent the winter 
in that city ; during which time he adjusted the affairs of 
Egypt. He divided its territory into districts, and placed 
a lieutenant over each district, who acted under his dicta- 
tion, each commanding a certain number of troops. 

The power of the civil government he invested in Dolo- 
aspes, an Egyptian, who governed according to Egyptian 
laws and customs, although under the great monarch, Al- 
exander. 

After arranging the affairs of Egypt, Alexander turned 
hit steps toward the East, and marched in pursuit of Da- 
rius, the Persian king, who had been relieved for some 
time from coming in contact, personally, with the invader 
of his realm. 

He marched his forces northward to Pelusium, then by 
way of Jerusalem to Tyre, and from thence to Damascus. 
He crossed the Syrian desert, and took possession of 
Thapsacus, on the Euphrates. Crossing that river upon 
a bridge, he pressed forward to the Tigris, whose swiftly 
rushing waters seemed destined to retard his progress into 
into the East ; but Alexander must proceed, and the rapid 
current of the Tigris must be forded. 

He therefore drew up his infantry in the form of a half- 
circle, and placed his cavalry on the wings. » Walking 
himself among the infantry, they advanced into the water, 
carrying their arms over their heads, because of its great 
depth, and succeeded, after much struggling, in landing 
upon the opposite bank, Alexander himself being the first 



158 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Encamps 
for two 
days. 

Orders to 
march. 



An eclipse. 



Excite, 
mei.t. 
Egyptian 
soothsay- 
ers con- 
sulted. 
Their ex- 
planation. 



Marches 
to Gauga- 
mela. 
Battle of 
Arbela. 



Takes 
Susa. 

Advances 
to Ecbata- 

na. 
Darius 

flees. 



Alexander 

proceeds 

beyond the 

Caspian 

Sea. 

Rests at 

Rha<?a. 



Darius 
among 



His sedi- 
tion. 



to land ; but many of the soldiers were nearly exhausted 
when they reached the shore. The mighty king of war 
then encamped near the river for two days, for rest and 
refreshment, and on the night of the second day, gave or- 
ders that his army should march the next morning. 

During that night, previous to the ordered march, there 
was an eclipse of the moon, which filled them with super- 
stitious awe ; they fearing it to be an omen of evil to the 
army. The excitement increased to such an extent that 
Alexander commanded the Egyptian soothsayers who were 
with him to explain the matter ; when they said that the 
sun was on the side of the Greeks, and the moon on the 
side of the Persians, and that whenever the moon suffered 
an eclipse it threatened calamity to the Persians. This ex- 
planation cheered them, and they were ready at the proper 
time to advance upon the Persian king, whose glory was 
soon to be eclipsed by the splendor and success of the 
Son of Jupiter- Ammon. 

The Grecian forces marched to Gaugamela, and then to 
Arbela, where the famous battle of Arbela was fought. 
From Arbela, he marched to Siazures, and from there to 
Babylon. 

After taking possession of that city he proceeded to 
Persia, took possession of Susa, its capital, and then ad- 
advanced to Persepolis ; taking it, he advanced to 
Ecbatana, the capital of Media, where he expected to 
come in contact with Darius ; but that monarch had fled 
before him, as usual. He took possession of the Median 
capital, and again started in pursuit of his Persian foe. 
He directed his course towards the northeast, and pressed 
forward beyond the Caspian Sea to Ehaga, where he rested 
five days. This had been a forced march for eleven days, 
and the rest was much needed. 

"Vyhile at Ehaga, news was received that Darius had 
been seized by traitors ; which made Alexander continue 
his march in haste. The report proved true ; Darius was 
found in a lonely place, after much search, lying in his 
chariot, his body run through with spears, and he very 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



159 



Calls for 
drink. 



His mes- 
sage to 
Alexander 



His death. 



Alexander 

weeps. 

Covers 

him. 

Provides 

for the 

burial, &c. 



Traitors 
punished. 
Builds an- 
other city. 



Advances 
to India. 

His suc- 
cess. 

His em- 
pire. 

A familiar 
saying cor- 
rected. 



near his end. He had strength enough to call for a drink, 
which was given him by a Macedonian — Polystratus. 
After drinking, he charged the Macedonian, saying : 
"Tell Alexander that I die in his debt, though he has 
never obliged me. I give him a multitude of thanks for 
his kindness to my mother, wife and children, whose lives 
he not only spared but restored them to their former 
splendor. I beseech the gods to give victory to his arms, 
and to make him monarch of the universe. I do not con- 
sider it necessary to entreat him to revenge the execrable 
outrage committed on my person by those who traitor- 
ously deceived me, as this is the common cause of kings." 
He then took Polystratus by the hand, and said : " Give 
Alexander thy hand, as I give thee mine ; and carry him, 
in my name, the only pledge I am able to give of my grat- 
itude and affection." And then he closed his eyes in death. 

Alexander came up a moment after, and seeing the body 
of Darius thus in the embrace of death, having been slain 
by traitors, he wept. He took off his military cloak and 
covered the dead, and then provided for him a respectable 
burial, and arranged for the comfort and support of the 
family of the unfortunate king, whose dominion now be- 
longed to the Grecian conqueror. 

The traitors were punished. Alexander continued his 
march still towards the East. He built a city near Iaxar- 
thes, which he called after his own name, as he did the one 
in Egypt. He overpowered the Scythians, took the city 
of Petra, and set out for India, taking several cities on his 
way to that country. 

He advanced into India, and engaged in the siege of 
Oxydrac^, where he was exposed to great danger ; but 
he continued his conquests until he succeeded in conquer- 
ing the world*, and then he returned to Babylon, choosing 
that city as the capital of his Great Empire, which was 
the Third Universal Empire of the World. 

It is often said of Alexander that ■ ■ he conquered the 
Avorld, and then wept because there were no more worlds 
to conquer ;" but this is not correct, according to reliable 



160 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Marches 
his forces 
5,100 miles 
in 8 years. 
Establish- 
es the Gre- 
cian em- 
pire. 

3d empire 
of the 
world. 
Alexander 
settles at 
Babylon. 
Indulges 
in wine. 
Drinks to 
excess. 
Attends a 
banquet. 
Spends the 
night in 
carousing. 
Another 
banquet. 
20 guests. 
Alexander 
drinks to 
their 

health, etc. 
Calls for 
the cup of 
Hercules. 
Drains its 
conrents. 
Draias it 
the second 
time. 

Falls to the 
floor drunk 
Dies. 
G >vern- 
mcnt in 
confusion. 



authority. The facts concerning the matter are as follows : 
While he was engaged in making his conquests, and w T as 
successfully advancing step by step in his efforts to con- 
quer the world, the philosopher Anaxarchus said to 
him: "There is an infinite number of worlds," refer- 
ring to the different planets ; when ' ' Alexander wept be- 
cause he should not be able to conquer them all, as he had 
not yet conquered one." 

This mighty warrior, — who revelled in scenes of carnage 
so much that he swiftly hastened from one engagement to 
another until he came to the last, and, in triumph, tram- 
pled the Medo-Persian Empire under the feet of his 
power, — marched his forces five thousand and one hundred 
miles in eight years, and succeeded in establishing the 
Grecian Empire, and thus came to stand at the head of 
the Third Great Empire of the World, as its first Em- 
peror and its last. 

Alexander, the monarch of the world, settled down at 
Babylon ; but in a little time, even before his government 
was thoroughly established, he began to indulge to excess 
in the use of wine, and was often found at festivals, where 
he drank to intoxication, forgetting his early instruction 
and the principles instilled into his mind by Aristotle. At 
last he assembled, with others, at a banquet, and spent the 
whole night in carousing ; then another banquet was ar- 
ranged, when twenty guests sat down with him to enjoy 
the festive occasion. Alexander drank to the health of 
every one of them, and then to each one separately, after 
which he called for the "Cup of Hercules." This cup 
contained six bottles. He drained its entire contents, 
drinking to the health of a Macedonian named Proteas ; 
and then he pledged him again in the same manner, and 
thus he twice drained the Herculean cup ; but, as soon as 
he had swallowed its contents the second time, he fell 
upon the floor in a drunken fit, from the effects of which 
he never recovered. In a few days he died, and his gov- 
ernment was thrown into confusion by this sudden and 
unexpected event. 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



1G1 



Seneca's 
description 
of Alexan- 
der. 



The boy. 
The young 
man. 
The war- 
rior. 

The ruler. 
From the 
throne to 
the grave. 

Conquered 
by the cup. 
Dies 
a slave. 
Aged 32 
years. 

Kept in 
Babylon 
2 years. 
Prepara- 
tions for 
burial. 



Carriage 
construct- 
ed trimmed 
with gold. 
Pavilion. 



Ornament- 
ed with 
jewclfc. 
Fringed 
net-work. 
Bells. 
Outside 
ornament- 
ation. 
Throne of 
gold. 
Decorated. 



Alexan- 
der's coffin. 

Perfumed. 

Pall of 
purple. 



Seneca, in describing this shameful, closing scene in the 
history of Alexander, says : '■'■Here is this hero, invincible 
to all the toils of prodigious marches, to the dangers of 
sieges and combats, to the most violent extremes of heat 
and cold : here he lies, conquered by his intemperance, and 
struck to the earth by the fatal ' Cup of Hercules.'" 

The intelligent and patriotic boy ; the educated and 
well-principled young man ; the valiant, ambitious, dash- 
ing and daring warrior ; and yet, the dissipated, degraded, 
and reckless ruler, fell, thus suddenly, from the throne 
of the World's Monarch, to the grave of the besot- 
ted drunkard ; and he who had so quickly conquered 
the nations of earth by the might of his power, was con- 
quered himself, at last, by the Cup, and died a slave to 
intoxicating drink, at the early age of thirty-two years ! 

The Grecian Emperor was embalmed and kept in 
Babylon two years, that preparation might be properly made 
for his funeral, which his governors and chief men designed 
should be attended with such pomp and show as to make 
it the most magnificent and grandest celebration of funereal 
ceremonies ever witnessed. 

For this purpose a four-wheeled chariot was constructed, 
which was elaborately trimmed with gold, and upon it a 
pavilion of gold was erected, which was twelve feet wide 
and eighteen feet long, and supported by Ionic pillars. 
The inside of this pavilion was ornamented with costly 
jewels, which were arranged in shell-like forms. A 
fringed net-work of gold adorned the sides, to which were 
attached large bells ; and the ornamentation upon the out- 
side was designed to represent four military scenes. 

Under this gorgeous canopy was arranged a throne of 
pure gold, which was decorated with the heads qf animals, 
with golden bands encircling their necks, to which were 
attached crowns, which glittered in brilliant colors. 

The coffin containing the body of Alexander, made of 
beaten gold, was placed at the foot of the throne. It Avas 
richly perfumed, and covered with a pall of purple, 
wrought with designs in gold. 



162 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Gorgeous 
hearse. 
4 poles at- 
tached, 16 
mules to 
each pole. 
64 in all. 
Crowns of 
gold. 
Harnesses. 



The pro- 
cession 
moves for- 
ward. 

From 
Babylon to 
Alexandria 
Burial. 



Honored 
name. 

Name dis- 
honored. 

Language 
of inspira- 
tion. 



Solemn 

silence. 
News re- 
ceived. 
Silence 
broken. 
Indications 
of love. 
Not to be 
continued. 
Affairs of 
govern- 
ment de- 
mand at- 
tention. 
Situation 
of the offi- 
cers. 



To this gorgeously decorated hearse there were attached 
four poles, and to each pole were harnessed sixteen mules, 
— making sixty-four mules in all, — to draw the dead mon- 
arch to his tomb. The heads of these mules were sur- 
mounted with crowns of gold, and the harnesses were set 
with precious stones, and bells of gold were strung about 
them. 

When all was ready, the pompous and august proces- 
sion began to move ; and majestically it wended its way 
from Babylon, over a road especially prepared for it by 
pioneers, toward the city of Alexandria, where, at last, 
Alexander was buried ; and the man who, but a few 
years before, had marched, in his majesty, over this terri- 
tory, achieving conquest after conquest, and had built this 
city and given to it his honored name, now came, a help- 
less, lifeless victim of strong drink, to be buried in it, with 
his name dishonored forever ! Well may we exclaim, in 
the language of inspiration, as we consider his history : 
' ' How are the mighty fallen ! " 

As stated before, the government was thrown into con- 
fusion by this sudden and unexpected event. A solemn 
silence prevailed throughout the camp as the news of Alex- 
ander's death was received ; which was immediately broken 
by sighs, groans, and bitter tears, indicating how much 
his soldiers and officers loved him. But such manifesta- 
tions of sorrow could not be continued. The affairs of the 
government demanded immediate attention ; and as the 
officers of the fallen monarch began to realize their situa- 
tion they were filled with apprehensions of trouble. 
They had marched under the command of their general 
until the nations had been conquered, and a grand and 
mighty empire established. Babylon, a city far remote 
from their own native land, had been chosen as the me- 
tropolis of his dominion, when he proudly stepped from 
the office of the commander-in-chief into that of the Gre- 
cian Emperor of the World ; and then, before the re- 
cently conquered nations had become accustomed- to his 
rule and discipline, he had suddenly stepped down from 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



163 



No succes- 
sor ap- 
pointed. 

His family 



Some mem- 
bers of the 
royal fami- 
ly expected 
to mount 
the throne. 
Each made 
the attempt 
All failed 
and lost 
their lives. 
Officers as- 
pire to the 
crown. 
Seleucus. 
Ptolemy. 
Lysima- 
chus. 

Cassander. 
Aridaeus. 



20 years of 
trouble. 



The empire 
divided to 
the 4 gen- 
erals. 



Seleucus 
Nicator's 
kingdom. 



That of 
Ptolemy 
Soter. 



the throne, and left those officers not only "without a mon- 
arch, but destitute even of a commander, and in a strange 
land, with the conquered but unhumbled nations ready to 
seize upon the first opportunity to revolt. 

Alexander had appointed no successor. He left a 
mother, a brother, three wives, and several children ; but 
he refused to designate any one of them as his successor, 
simply saying, when asked to whom he left the kingdom : 
" To the most worthy ;" and thus left the matter to be set- 
tled after his death. 

It would naturally be expected that some member of 
the royal family of Alexander would mount the throne 
and continue the empire in its consolidated state. Each 
of them were ambitious to do so, and made an effort to 
occupy the throne ; but every one of them failed, and 
even lost their lives in the attempt. The officers of the 
army aspired to the crown as well ; among whom were 
four generals, to wit; Seleucus Nicator, Ptolemy So- 
ter, Lysimachus, and Cassander. These were deter- 
mined by some means to prevent any of the relatives of 
Alexander from taking possession of the throne. They 
placed his brother, Arid^us, who was a weak-minded 
man, upon the throne in name, as a pretence, while they 
controlled the affairs, and shrewdly managed everything 
in their own interests. 

Nearly twenty years of trouble and confusion followed, 
before the affairs were adjusted ; and then all the mem- 
bers of the royal family having been destroyed, in their 
efforts to obtain the throne, and every other obstacle hav- 
ing been removed, those four generals succeeded in bring- 
ing order out of confusion, and then divided the territory 
of the Great Grecian Empire among themselves, as fol- 
lows : — 

Seleucus Nicator had the country of Syria and nearly 
all the provinces of Upper Asia. His throne was in 
Syria. 

Ptolemy Soter had Egypt, Libya, Arabia, Pales- 
tine, and Ccelo-Syria. 



164 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Lysima- 
chus 



and Cas- 
sander. 
Four king- 
doms. 



Designa- 
ted. 



Kings of 
the north. 



Of the 
south. 

Of the east 
Of the west 



Fully es- 
tablished 
B.C. 300. 
Grecian 
history 
traced in 
4 divisions 

1st the 
east and 

west. 



In the east 
Lysima- 
chus no 
successor. 
Kingdom 
dismem- 
bered. 
In the west 
line of 
rulers ex- 
tend to 168 
B.C. 

Taken by 
the Ro- 
mans. 
Syria to 65 
B'.C 

Egypt to 
30 B.C. 
Reduced to 
Roman 
provinces. 



Lysimachus had Thrace, Bithynia, and several prov- 
inces beyond the Hellespont, including the straits of the 
Bosphorus. 

Cassander had Macedonia and Grecia proper. 

By this arrangement, just four distinct kingdoms were 
established upon the territory once controlled by Alex- 
ander the Great, and these were designated as the king- 
dom of the North, of the South, of the East, and of 
the West, according to their location. 

Seleucus Nicator was called the King of the North ; 
because he ruled in the Northern division or kingdom. 

Ptolemy Soter — the King of the South ; because he 
ruled the Southern kingdom. 

Lysimachus — the King of the East ; because he 
reigned in the Eastern division. 

And Cassander — the King of the West ; because the 
Western kingdom was ruled by him. 

These four kingdoms were fully established about 300 
B.C., and from that time we trace Grecian history in four 
grand divisions, until they were conquered by the Ro- 
mans, and reduced to Roman provinces. 

We notice first the kingdom of the East and of the 
West, which are less important in their position than 
those of the North and the South. We shall then turn 
our attention to these last-named divisions, the history of 
which we shall more fully detail. 

In the East — Lysimachus had no successor. He reigned 
about twenty years, and after his death the kingdom be- 
came dismembered, and ceased to exist as a separate do- 
minion. 

In the West — Cassander was followed by a line of 
rulers who reigned amidst great confusion until about 168 
B.C., when that territory was taken by the Romans and 
became a Roman province. 

In Syria, the Kingdom of the North, a line of rulers 
continued until 65 B.C., and in Egypt, the Kingdom of 
the South, until 30 B.C., when each of those two divi- 
sions of the Empire were reduced to Roman provinces. 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



165 



A proposi- 
tion. 



Reasons 
for it. 



Because these two kingdoms were so distinct in their 
existence for so long a period, and because they occupied 
such prominent positions and sustained such a peculiar 
relationship to each other, we purpose to mention the 
rulers who reigned in each of these two kingdoms from 
the year 300 B.C., when the four kingdoms had all be- 
come thoroughly established. We give the line of these 
rulers and the length of their reign, from 300 B.C. ; although 
some began their reign before that time; because, although 
some of them began their reign in the separate existence 
of their division before that time, the first rulers in all 
the four divisions were on the throne then, when the four 
were all fully established. 



THE KINGS OF SYRIA. 



List of 
Syrian 
kings. 



1 Seleucus Nicator 

2 Antiochus Soter 

3 Antiochus Theos 

4 Seleucus Callinicus 

5 Seleucus Ceraunus 

6 Antiochus The Great 

7 Seleucus Philopater 

8 Antiochus Epiphanes 

9 Antiochus Eupator 

10 Demetrius Soter. 

11 Alexander Bala 

12 Demetrius Nicator 

13 Diodotus Tryphon 

14 Antiochus Sidetes 

15 Dem. Nicator restored 

16 Alexander Zebina 

17 Seleucus Nicator II. 

18 Antiochus Grypus 

19 Seleucus Grypus 

20 Antiochus Eusebes 

21 Tygranes, by Magdalus 

22 Antiochus Asiaticus 



reigned 20 years from B.C. 300 to B.C. 280 



19 


« 


(I 


II 


280 « 


< ii 


261 


15 


cc 


(( 


II 


261 « 


< << 


246 


20 


II 


II 


II 


246 « 


< i< 


226 


3 


<< 


(1 


II 


226 ' 


i ii 


223 


36 


(( 


II 


(1 


223 « 


i ii 


187 


12 


II 


(1 


II 


187 < 


< ii 


175 


11 


(< 


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II 


175 « 


i ii 


164 


2 


u 


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<< 


164 « 


i ii 


162 


12 


(C 


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II 


162 « 


i it 


150 


4 


<( 


II 


II 


150 « 


i ii 


146 


2 


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II 


<< 


146 < 


i ii 


144 


5 


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II 


it 


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i (i 


139 


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ii 


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3 


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i ii 


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7 


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< it 


118 


19 


(< 


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i <( 


99 


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ii ii 


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14 


II 


II 


ii 


83 « 


i «i 


69 


4 


<< 


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ii 


69 « 


i <i 


65 



In B.C. 65, Antiochus Asiaticus was conquered by 
Pompey, and Syria became a Eoman province. 



166 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



List of 

Egyptian 

kings. 



Ptolemy Soter 



THE KINGS OF EGYPT. 



reigned 15 years from B.C. 



Ptolemy Philadelphia " 39 
Ptolemy Evekgetes " 25 

Ptolemy Philopater " 17 
Ptolemy Epiphanes " 24 

Ptolemy Philometer " 35 
Ptolemy Physon '* 28 

8 Ptolemy Lathyrus " 10 

9 Alexander, Bro. of Lathyrus, 26 

10 Alexander, his son " 16 

11 Ptolemy Auletes " 12 

12 Bernice, daughter of Auletes, \ „ 

13 And Auletes restored, j 

14 Cleopatra, with her elder bro- 1 

ther, then Avith her youngest j-21 
brother, and then alone. J 



300 to B.C 


285 


285 " 


" 


246 


246 " 


<« 


221 


221 " 


<< 


204 


204 " 


<( 


180 


180 " 


<< 


145 


145 " 


ft 


117 


117 " 


cc 


107 


107 " 


(< 


81 


81 " 


(C 


65 


65 " 


it 


53 



53 



51 " 



51 



30 



Ptolemy 
Soter. 
His char- 
acter. 
Thorough- 
ly edu- 
cated. 
Wrote the 
life of 
Alexander 
the Great. 
Establish- 
ed the Mu- 
steum. 
Its reputa- 
tion. 

Produced a 
large num- 
ber of 
learned 
men. 



Doctors of 
Divinity. 



Ptolemy 
Soter pre- 
sents a li- 
brary. 
Nucleus of 



In B.C. 30 Egypt was conquered by Octavius Caesar, 
and reduced to a Roman province. 

We now refer to some of the most interesting events 
which occurred during the reign of the above named kings. 

Ptolemy Soter, the first king of Egypt, was a kind, 
prudent and just ruler, thoroughly educated and particu- 
larly interested in literature. He wrote the life of Alex- 
ander the Great, which was a very valuable work ; but 
it is now entirely lost. He established an institution of 
learning at Alexandria, called the Museum, which o-ained 
high reputation because of the thorough instruction given 
there by an association of learned men, who were em- 
ployed to give their careful attention to the study of philos- 
ophy, and to the investigation of all the sciences. 

This superior school of literature and science produced 
a large number of men who became noted in history as 
men of education ; among whom were some of the early 
Doctors of Divinity in the Church, such as Clemens Alex- 
andrinus, Origen, Anatolils and Athanasius , who were 
educated in this ancient college. 

Ptolemy Soter presented to this institution a library 
of choice books, which was the nucleus of the famous 
Alexandrian Library. His son, Ptolemy Philadel- 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



167 



the Alex- 
andrian li- 
brary. 
His son in- 
creased it. 
Left 100,- 
000 vol- 
umes. 
.Increased 
to 700,000 
volumes. 
Founded 
in Bru- 
chion. 
400,000 
volumes. 
Crowded. 
Serapion 
300,000 
volumes. 

Library at 
Bruchion. 
Library at 
Serapion. 

The means 
used to 
procure 
books. 



Ptolemy 
Pliiladel- 
phus. 
Hebrew 
Scriptures 
translated 
by 72 Jew- 
ish Elders. 
On the Is- 
land Pha- 
ros. 

The trans- 
lation 
made in 72 
days. 

Septuagint 
version. 



Antiochus 
Theos de- 
clares war 
upon Ptol- 
emy Phiia- 
delphus. 
Advances 
upon him. 
Insurrec- 
tion in the 
east. 



phus, afterwards increased the number of books, and at 
his death he left one hundred thousand volumes in the 
library ; and the succeeding rulers added to it, until at 
last it contained seven hundred thousand volumes. 

This library was founded near the royal palace, in that 
part of the city called Bruchion, where the books were 
deposited until four hundred thousand volumes were 
carefully stored, and the place became too much crowded to 
admit of any more deposits. They then began to store 
them in a place called the Serapion, into which three 
hundred thousand volumes were finally gathered. The 
Alexandrian Library was, therefore, in two depart- 
ments, and called The Library of Bruchion, and The 
Library of Serapion. 

The books of this noted library were procured in a pe- 
culiar manner. All books which were brought into Egypt 
by any parties were seized, by order of the king, and sent 
to the Musaeum, where they were carefully copied ; and 
then the transcribed copies were given to the owners, and 
the original books were deposited in the library. 

During the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus the Hebrew 
Scriptures were translated into Greek by seventy-two 
Jewish Elders, who went from Jerusalem down into Egypt 
for that purpose, at the request of the king; who, after 
questioning them carefully, in order to test their ability, 
sent them to the Island of Pharos, where everything was 
in readiness for the work ; and there they translated the 
Hebrew Scriptures into Greek in seventy-two days. 
That translation is the one called the Septuagint Version, 
and it has maintained a high position among the different 
renderings of the Scriptures even to the present time. 

Towards the last part of the reign of Ptolemy Phila- 
delphus, who was the second king in Egypt, circumstan- 
ces were such that Antiochus Theos, the third king in 
Syria, became irritated, and declared war against Ptol- 
emy, and advanced with his forces upon the King of the 
South ; but while he was thus engaged, an insurrection 
occurred in the eastern part of his own dominion, which 



168 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Necessary 
to end his 
southern 
expedition 
Could not 
fight two 
ways at 
once. 
Proposes 
peace to 
Ptolemy. 
Ptolemy 
not favora- 
ble at first. 
Takes ad- 
vantage of 
circum- 
stances. 
His propo- 
sition. 



Humiliat- 
ing to An- 
tiochus. 
Forced to 
submit. 
Laodice 
put away. 
Bcrnice be- 
comes 
queen. 
This ar- 
rangement 
soon bro- 
ken up. 
Ptolemy 
Philadel- 
phus dies. 
Pt. Ever- 
getes suc- 
ceeds to the 
throne. 
Bernice 
divorced. 
Laodice re- 
called. 
Poisons 
Antiochus 
Theos. 
Seleucus 
Callinicus 
ascends the 
throne. 
Reigns 20 
years. 
Bernice 
pursued by 
Leodice 
and Seleu- 
cus. 

Is destroy- 
ed 



involved him in serious trouble, and made it necessary for 
him to end his Southern expedition. He could not suc- 
cessfully fight two ways at once, and therefore proposed 
peace to Ptolemy Philadelphus ; but the Egyptian king 
had resolved to get possession of the territory of Syria, 
by conquering Antiochus Theos, and he was not at first 
disposed to arrange for peace upon any terms ; but finally 
taking advantage of existing circumstances, he consented to 
arrange a treaty upon such terms as would accomplish the 
desired end as really as he would by a successful conquest. 

He therefore proposed to Antiochus Theos to divorce 
his wife, Laodice, and disinherit her children, and then 
to receive into his palace, as queen, Bernice, the daughter 
of this king of Egypt, and make her children heirs to the 
throne of Syria. This arrangement was very humiliating 
to Antiochus Theos ; but the circumstances forced him 
to submit, and his queen, Laodice, was put away, and her 
two sons disinherited ; and Bernice, the daughter of Pto- 
lemy Philadelphus, became the queen of Syria, and her 
children were to inherit the crown. 

This arrangement continued only for a short time ; for, 
in a little while after this agreement between the two kings, 
Ptolemy Philadelphus died, leaving the throne of Egypt 
to his son, Ptolemy Evergetes. 

As soon as Antiochus Theos heard of the death of Pto- 
lemy Philadelphus, he divorced Bernice, and recalled 
and reinstated Laodice, his former wife, who, soon after 
her return, destroyed the life of her husband, Antiochus 
Theos, with poison, and shrewdly managed to have her 
son, Seleucus Callinicus, appointed to the throne ; and 
he quietly ascended to the head of that government, and 
reigned twenty years. Bernice and her son (who was 
born in the royal palace of Syria), having been set aside, 
Laodice did not consider herself safe as long as they were 
living. She therefore, being assisted by Seleucus, pur- 
sued the Egyptian woman, Bernice, and her Syrian son, 
until they were both destroyed, and also the Egyptian 
guard which accompanied them to their last retreat. 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



169 



Ptolemy 

Evergetes. 
Leads an 
army into 
Syria. 
Destroys 
Laodice. 
Takes 
Syria and 
Cilicia. 
Marches 
towards 
the east. 
Many con- 
quests. 
Sedition in 
Egypt. 
He returns 
with many 
treasures. 



Egyptians 
rejoice. 



Seleucus 
Callinicus 
makes an 
effort to re- 
duce the re- 
volted 
cities. 
Misfortune 
excites 
sympathy. 
Some of 
the revolt- 
ed cities 
declare for 
him. 
Is rein- 
stated. 
Encour- 
aged. 
Attempts 
to subdue 
the rest. 
Defeated. 
Smyrna 
and" Mag- 
nesia unite 
to support 
him. 

The agree- 
ment en- 
graved on a 
monument 
still exists. 
Thomas. 



When Ptolemy Evergetes, brother of Bernice, re- 
ceived intelligence of the course of Laodice, he led forth 
an army into Syria, and receiving powerful assistance 
from Asia, he succeeded in destroying the life of Laodice, 
and took possession of Syria and Cilicia, and then marched 
his army towards the East, making many conquests ; and, 
had it not been for a sedition which occurred in Egypt, 
obliging him to return, he would doubtless have subdued 
the Syrian kingdom entirely. 

He returned to Egypt with forty thousand talents 
of silver, a large number of gold and silver vessels, and 
two thousand five hundred statues ; among which were 
some Egyptian idols, which Cambyses had sent into 
Persia after his Egyptian conquest. The restoration of 
these idols to their sacred places in the temple gave the 
inhabitants of that land much joy, and caused them to 
have great respect for the king who had accomplished so 
much in their interests. 

When Seleucus Callinicus heard that Ptolemy was 
returning to Egypt, he made an effort to reduce the cities 
which had revolted against him ; but he met with misfor- 
tune and discouragement. He lost his whole navy in a 
violent storm. This calamity, however, excited the sym- 
pathy of those who had revolted against him to avenge 
the death of Bernice ; and, thinking that he had been pun- 
ished enough, they declared for him, and he was reinstated 
over the largest part of his former dominion. 

Encouraged by this unexpected change, he raised an- 
other army, and attempted to subdue the remainder. But 
his forces were defeated by the army of Ptolemy, and the 
most of his troops were destroyed. 

After this second disaster, the citizens of Smyrna and 
Magnesia, in Asia Minor, because of pure affection for 
Seleucus, united to support him ; and the agreement by 
which this confederacy was formed was engraved upon a 
large monument of marble, which iis still in existence. 
Thomas, Earl of Arundel, brought it from Asia, in the 
first part of the reign of Charles I. r and his son, Henry, 



170 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Duke 
Henry. 
Oxford 
Univer- 
sity. 
Seleucus 
arranges 
with An- 
tiochus to 
assist him. 
Antiochus' 
selfish in- 
terests ap- 
pear. 



Ptolemy. 
Arranges 
a truce 
with him 
for 10 years 



Antiochus' 
deception. 
His deceit 
discovered 



Decisive 

battle. 

Antiochus 
victorious. 
Comes in 
contact 
with others 
Defeatedj 
flees to 
Egypt. 
In prison. 
Escapes. 
Assassina- 
ted. 

Seleucus 
relieved. 
Reorgan- 
izes the 
govern- 
ment. 
Resumes 
war upon 
the revolt- 
ers. 
Taken 
prisoner. 
Dijs. 
Seleucus 
Cerannus 
succeeds to 
the throne. 
Short reign 



Duke of Norfolk, presented it to the University of Ox- 
ford during the reign of Charles II. 

Seleucus arranged with his brother, Antiochus, who 
was much younger than himself, and who was in command 
of an army in the provinces of Asia Minor, to assist him 
in his efforts against Ptolemy, and promised to give him 
sovereign power in Asia Minor. Antiochus agreed to do 
it ; not with a purpose to accomplish anything in the inter- 
ests of Seleucus, but to turn everything to his own ad- 
vantage, and seize the entire dominion for himself. 

When Ptolemy learned that Antiochus was preparing 
to assist Seleucus, he craftily managed to arrange a truce 
with him for a term of ten years. But Antiochus contin- 
ued his preparations, as if designing to assist Seleucus, 
according to agreement, and he appeared to be a brother, 
when actually he was an enemy, and working to dethrone 
the one whom he apparently was endeavoring to assist. 
Seleucus soon discovered his deceit, and immediately ad- 
vanced upon him ; when, failing to settle the trouble by 
peaceful arrangements, they resolved to decide who should 
maintain his position by engaging in a battle. The battle 
was fought near Ancyra, in Galatia, and resulted in vic- 
tory to Antiochus, but afterwards he came in contact with 
others who defeated him, until he fled for protection into 
Egypt. But the protection afforded him there was to be 
incarcerated in prison. Finally he made his escape from 
prison, but was soon assassinated by a band of robbers. 
Seleucus being thus relieved from the trouble his brother 
had occasioned him, immediately commenced to re-estab- 
lish the government. When the reorganization was ac- 
complished, he resumed his efforts against those who had 
revolted, but again failed to subdue them. He was, after 
a time, taken captive, and died at last in Parthia, the 
land of his captivity. His son, Seleucus Ceraunus, suc- 
ceeded to the throne of Syria. 

The reign of Seleucus Ceraunus was short, and at his 
death his brother Antiochus was placed upon the Syrian 
throne. He was called ANTioemjs the Great. 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



171 



Antiochns 
the Great. 
Adjusts 
the affairs. 
Effort to 
subdue the 
rebellious. 
Involved 
in war with 
Ptolemy 
Philopater 
Defeated. 
Concludes 
peace for 
one year. 
Turns to 
Asia 
Minor. 



Dissipa- 
tion of 
Ptolemy 
Philopater. 
He dies. 
Reigned 17 
years. 
Ptolemy 
Epiphanes 
Ambitious 
aspirants. 
Antiochus 
the Great 
one of 
them. 



Comes in 

contact 

with the 

Romans. 

Seeks to 

strengthen 

himself. 



Gives his 
daughter 
in mar- 
riage to 
Ptolemy. 



She favors 
her hus- 
band. 



The re- 
maining 
history. 



After adjusting the affairs of his kingdom which Cer- 
aunus had left to him, Antiochus made an effort to sub- 
due those who had revolted in the reign of Callinicus, 
and soon found himself involved in war with Ptolemy 
Philopater, who had succeeded his father, Ptolemy Ever- 
getes in Egypt. Antiochus was finally defeated, and con- 
cluded peace with Ptolemy for one year, by giving him 
possession of Ccelo-Syria and Palestine, and then An- 
tiochus the Great turned his attention towards Asia 
Minor, and while engaged in that direction the Egyptians 
began to manifest discontent against Ptolemy Philopater, 
because of a tendency to dissipation which he manifested 
after his victory over the king of Syria. 

Ptolemy Philopater died after a reign of seventeen 
years, and left the government to his son, Ptolemy Epiph- 
anes, who was then only five years old. 

These circumstances caused ambitious aspirants to man- 
oeuvre in their own interests for a time, during his minor- 
ity. Among them was Antiochus the Great, who united 
with Philip, a king in Macedonia, to devise means by 
which to deprive the boy-king of the Egyptian throne ; 
but in his efforts against Ptolemy Epiphanes, Antio- 
chus finally came in contact with the Romans, who favored 
young Ptolemy in his position. The power of the Ro- 
mans was such that Antiochus began to feel the need of 
strength to resist their efforts against him, and sought to 
strengthen his own position and to accomplish his design 
against Ptolemy, by forming an alliance with that king. 
He therefore gave his daughter Cleopatra in marriage to 
Ptolemy Epiphanes, thinking that she would be easily 
persuaded to betray her husband into the hands of her 
father ; but in this he was disappointed, for she renounced 
her father's interests, and adopted those of her husband ; 
and when the Romans had gained the victory over Antio- 
chus, her father, she joined with Ptolemy, her husband, in 
sending an embassy from Egypt to Rome, to congratulate 
the Romans upon their success. 

The remaining history of these two divisions of the 



172 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Involved 
with Ro- 
man. 



Romans 
gain ad- 
vantage. 

Syria and 
Egypt Ro- 
man prov- 
inces, B.C. 
65, B.C. 30. 
Roman 
empire 
upon Gre- 
cian ruins. 



History 
traced. 
Prophecy 
to be no- 
ticed. 



God's 
symbol. 

The metal- 
lic image 
reconsid- 
ered. 



The four 

empires. 

1st, gold, 

Babylon. 

2d, silver, . 

Mcdo-Per- 

sia. 

3d, brass, 
Grecia. 



Grecian Empire is so much involved with Eoman history, 
that it can more properly be traced in connection with that 
history, which is the subject of the next lecture ; for the 
Romans, having come in contact with these powers, con- 
tinued to gain advantage over them, until both Syria and 
Egypt, the last remnants of the Grecian Empire, became 
Eoman provinces; Syria in B.C. 65, and Egypt in B.C. 
30. The Roman Empire was finally established upon the 
ruins of the Grecian, as that had been upon the ruins of 
the Medo-Persian Empire, and the Medo-Persian upon 
the ruins of the Babylonian. 

" So the Grecians, too, have had their day, 
And into the ages have passed away; 
Cut off, like the others, — gone down into dust, 
And their glory is gone, to decay and rust. 

" The tramp of their armies is heard no more ; 
Their voices are hushed on the echoless shore ; 
Alexander is gone, with his humblest slave ; 
All have found, in the caverns of time, their grave." 

Having traced the history of this Third Universal 
Empire from its rise to its fall, we now proceed to exam- 
ine the great prophetic symbols and declarations concern- 
ing it. 

In the days of Nebuchadnezzar, the first ruler in the 
First Universal Empire of the World, The God of 
Heaven introduced that wonderful symbolic representa- 
tion of human governments, the Metallic Image, which 
we have considered in our previous lectures, the form of 
which has become familiar to us as displayed upon the 
chart. This Image, as we have noticed, was divided into 
four parts, the parts being composed of different metals ; 
it represents Four Universal Kingdoms, or Empires. 
The "Head of Gold" represents the First, which was 
the Babylonian. The " Breast and Arms of Silver" 
represents the Second, which, as we have seen, was the 
Medo-Persian. The third division of this image is the 
«' Belly and Thighs of Brass," which Daniel interpreted 
to represent the Third Universal Empire ; for he not 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



173 



Another 
line. 
The 4 

beasts. 



4 beasts 
same as the 
image. 

Their pe- 
culiarities. 



Lion and 
head of t 
gold, 1st 
empire. 

Bear and 
breast and 
arms, 2d 
empire. 



Leopard 

and belly 
and sides, 
3d empire. 



A proper 
symbol. 



only said to Nebuchadnezzar, ' < Thou art this head of 
gold, and after thee shall come another kingdom inferior 
to thee ;" but he said further : " and another, third king- 
dom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth." 
(Dan. 2: 39.) 

The brazen part of the image, then, represents the 
Third Universal Empire of the World's History. 
In carefully considering this history, we have learned that 
the Grecian Empire was the third which held univer- 
sal sway. Therefore, this Grecian Empire is properly 
represented in this Image by "the belly and sides of 
brass." 

Another line of symbolic representation has become 
familiar to us in these lectures, — the four peculiar beasts 
of Dan. 7 ; and the appearance of each of them has become 
impressed upon our minds, as we have seen them before 
us upon the chart. We have stated that these four beasts 
represent the same great empires which are symbolized 
by the Image ; but, in the beasts, some peculiar charac- 
teristics of the governments are represented which are not 
indicated in the Image. 

We have seen that the " Lion? with " Eagle's wings" 
corresponding with the "head of gold," was a proper 
symbol by which to represent that first, or Babylonian 
Empire ; and that the Bear with three ribs in his mouth, 
corresponding with the breast and arms of silver, sig- 
nificantly represented the Second, or Medo-Persian Em- 
pire. Now the third beast in this line of symbols, 
which is the Leopard, with, four wings of a fowl upon his 
back, and with four heads, corresponds with the belly and 
sides of brass in the Image, and therefore represents the 
Third Universal Empire, which is the Grecian. But, 
is this a proper symbol to represent this third great em- 
pire, the history of which has formed the subject of this 
lecture? If it is, we shall find features of this govern- 
ment represented in this peculiar beast which are not 
apparent in the Image. Let us carefully examine the sub- 
ject, and see how it is. When a beast is used as a symbol 



174 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Rule of 
interpre- 
tation. 



3d beast. 
Has 4 
heads. 



Govern- 
ment 4 
heads. 



Greeia's 1 
head,Alex- 
ander. 
4 Grecian 
heads. 



Striking 
symbol. 

Dan. 8th ch 
The ram 
and goat. 



Vision re- 
called. 



to represent a government the head of the beast must rep- 
resent the head of the government. 

The principal peculiarity of this third beast, and that 
which we shall particularly notice, is, that he has four 
heads. Now, if a beast with one head symbolizes a gov- 
ernment with one head, a beast with/owr heads must sym- 
bolize a government with Jour heads. Did this Third 
Universal Empire ever exist under four heads ? We 
refer to the historical facts, as already related, for the an- 
swer, and find that this Grecian Empire existed in its uni- 
versal sway under one head at first, Alexander the Great, 
but after his death this Empire was divided into four parts, 
and at the head of these divisions the four principal gen- 
erals of Alexander stood, to control the affairs of gov- 
ernment, so that there were four riders instead of one, and 
thus there were, literally, four heads to the Grecian Em- 
pire ; and all so remarkably represented in this symbolic 
beast as that we cannot fail to see the striking adaptation 
of the symbol to the government. 

We now turn to the eighth chapter of Daniel, and note 
the third line of symbols — the Ram and the Bough he- 
goat. 

In our last lecture we considered the Ram, and the ex- 
planation given of him ; but we now wish to recall to 
mind the whole vision, and to investigate it more thor- 
oughly. 

The prophet Daniel was in Shushan, the capital of Persia, 
when he had this vision, and by the river Ulai, on which 
the capital of Persia was located ; he there saw ' ' a ram 
which had tivo horns; and the two horns were high, but 
one was higher than the other, and the higher came up 
last." 

He saw this ' ' ram pushing westward and northward 
and southward, so that no beasts might stand before him." 
He also saw, and " behold a he goat came from the west 
on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground ; 
and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. And 
he came to the ram that had two horns," " and ran unto 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



175 



The ram 
with his 
horns. 
Medes and 
Persians. 

Ram in the 
east push- 
ing W. 

N.S. 



Rough 
goat 
breaks 
down and 
tramples 
the ram. 

Direct 
Scriptural 
declara- 
tion. 



Plain lan- 
guage. 



Grecian 
Empire. 
Noted 
horn Alex- 
ander the 
Great. 



Goat 
comes 
from the 
west. 



him in the fury of his power." And he " saw him come 
close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against 
him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns; and 
there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but 
he cast him down to the ground and stamped upon him ; 
and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his 
hand. Therefore the he-goat waxed very great; and 
when he was strong the great horn was broken, and for it 
came up four notable ones toward the four winds of 
heaven." 

We saw in the preceding lecture that the ram with his 
two horns represented the Medo-Persian Empire, and 
that it was an appropriate symbol by which to illustrate 
that great empire of the East. Now upon this ram 
with the two horns, which was located in the East, and 
which was pushing westward, northward and southiuard, 
representing the universal strength and power of that gov- 
ernment, a " rough goat" advances — "breaks his two 
horns" — "casts him down to the ground," and stamps 
upon him. If the ram represents the Medo-Persian Em- 
pire, then what does the rough goat represent? We will 
let the word of God answer the question. " The rough 
goat is the king [or kingdom~\ of Grecia, and the great 
horn that is between his eyes is the first king." (Dan. 8 : 
21.) 

This language is so plain that a child can understand it 
and readily comprehend the fitness of the' symbol by 
which this empire is represented. This rough goat sym- 
bolizes this Grecian Empire, and the noted horn repre- 
sents the first king. Now, who was the first king of this 
third great Empire? History has informed us that Alex- 
ander the Great was the first king or emperor in that 
government. Therefore he is represented in this symbol 
by the noted horn between the eyes of the goat. But does 
this goat, representing the Grecian Empire, with this horn, 
which represents Alexander the Great, come from the 
right direction to be applied after this manner? The goat is 
said to come from the west, while the ram was in the east; 



176 



THE 'WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Western 
world 
plans the 
ruin of the 
eastern. 
Goat starts 
from the 
west. 
Horns 
broken. 
Earn tram- 
pled under 
foot. 



Capital 
moved 
from the 
west. 



Alexander 
sees this 
description 
of the goat. 
Remarka- 
ble. 



Horn to be 
broken, &c 



What is 
meant. 
Made plain 
Verse 22. 



and did not Alexander the Great, who broke down the 
Medes and Persians, plan his expedition in the loest? and 
did he not lead forth his Grecian forces from the west, as 
he advanced upon that country represented by the ram ? 

When considering the history of his work, we noticed 
the statement of the historian concerning the council that 
met at Corinth to appoint Alexander generalisimo over 
the Grecians against the Persians, when he said: "It 
was the Western world planning the ruin of the Eastern." 
That ruin was planned in, and the rough goat with his 
noted horn started from the west, when Antiochus the 
Great proudly led forth his mighty army against the 
Medes and Persians ; and the two horns of the ram were 
broken, and the ram himself was trampled under the feet 
of the goat, when Alexander conquered D arils Codoma- 
nls, the last king o/"Persia, broke down the Medo-Per- 
sian Empire, and established the mighty Empire of 
Grecia upon its ruins. He even moved the capital from 
Greece proper in the West, to Babylon in the East — 
choosing that eastern city for the metropolis of his Empire. 

The description of this rough goat with his noted horn 
was shown to Alexander the Great, when Jaddus, the 
High Priest, took him into the temple, and opening the 
book of Daniel, called his attention to the prophecies 
concerning him. It is remarkable that the eyes of Alex- 
ander should rest upon the description of this prophetic 
symbol, and that he should be told that this horn repre- 
sented himself; but it is not strange that he should have 
been encouraged to go forward feeling sure of success. 

But the noted horn was broken, finally, and in its place 
four others came up, towards the four winds of heaven, 
or towards the four points of compass. What does this 
signify ? The word of God makes it plain in the twenty- 
second verse, which is as follows : 

"Now that horn being broken, whereas four stood 
up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, 
but not in his power." 

Alexander the Great, in the midst of his strength and 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



177 



Horn, 
Alexander 
broken. 
Four horns 
came up — 
four divis- 
ions. 



Out of the 
nation. 



All Gre- 
cians. 
None of 
the 4 rulers 
Alexan- 
der's de- 
scendants. 
Daniel, ch. 



2d verse 
previously- 
noticed. 



Verse 3. 
A mighty 
king. 



Alexander 



Verse 4 
quoted. 



A clear 
description 



glory, was broken by the "fatal cup of Hercules," and 
then the Empire was divided to his four Grecian generals, 
and just four kingdoms were established, with those gen- 
erals at the head of them, and were known as the king- 
dom of the North, of the South, of the East, and of the 
West, as we have noticed in the history ; and thus thejbur 
horns came up towards the four winds of heaven. 

These were to stand up out of the nation, but not in 
his power, and it is a remarkable fact that the rulers in 
the four divisions of Alexander's kingdom were all Gre- 
cians, but none of them belonged to the royal family of 
Alexander, the fallen monarch ; and so this prophecy was 
fulfilled. 

The eleventh chapter of Daniel is now to receive atten- 
tion, as far as it relates to this Grecian Empire. 

In our previous lecture we noticed that the second verse 
of this chapter gave an account of the first kings of Per- 
sia, closing with a wonderfully vivid description of Xer- 
xes, the fourth king from Cyrus. 

In the third verse " a mighty king " is introduced, who 
should "rule with great dominion, and do according to 
his will." 

The first kino; after Xerxes the Great who ruled 
with great dominion and did according to his will, was 
Alexander the Great, at the head of the Grecian Em- 
pire ; and he must be the one described in this third verse. 
This becomes more evident when we read the fourth verse 
of this chapter, which is as follows : — 

"And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be 
broken, and divided towards the four winds of heaven; 
and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion 
which he ruled ; for his kingdom shall be plucked up even 
for others beside those." 

A more clear description of Alexander's kingdom could not 
have been given after the events described were in the past, 
than is given in these two verses by prophetic declaration. 

He was " a mighty king," who " stood up." He did 



178 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



A mighty 
king. 
His king- 
dom bro- 
ken by the 
cup of Her- 
cules. 
Divided 
into 4 parts 



Historical 
facts no- 
ticed. 



Not to his 
posterity. 
Plucked up 

Rulers in 
the four di- 
visions. 



Seleucus 
Nicator, 
Syria, 
king of the 
North. 

Ptolemy 
Soter, 
Egypt, 
king of the 
South. 

Lysima- 

chus, 

Thrace, 

king of the 

East. 

Cassander, 

Macedonia 

king of the 

West. 



Dan. 11 : 5. 



"RULE WITH GREAT DOMINION," and "DO ACCORDING TO 

his will." And when he stood up his kingdom tvas 
broken, for the Herculean Cup dashed it in pieces. Then 
it was divided according to the four points of compass ; 
but his posterity had no part in it. This is a strange fact ; 
for Alexander left, at his death, a mother, a brother, three 
wives, and several children, some one of whom would nat- 
urally be expected to succeed to the throne ; but, as we 
have learned from the history, not one of them succeeded 
in taking possession of the throne. Every one of them 
made an effort to do so, but lost their lives in the attempt. 
If they had been successful, this prophecy would have 
failed ; but God knew what would be, and told the story 
beforehand, and said : " not to his posterity," but that 
it should be "plucked up for others beside those;" and so 
the four generals took possession of the territory and 
divided it among themselves, thereby establishing four 
kingdoms upon that occupied by the one great empire. 
These kingdoms, as we have stated, were arranged accord- 
ing to the four points of compass. 

Seleucus Nicator had the largest division, with the 
seat of his empire in Syria, and was called the King of 
the North. 

Ptolemy Soter had the next largest division, with his 
seat of government in Egypt, and was called the King of 
the South. 

Lysimachus had the next largest division ; and, having 
his throne in Thrace, was called the King of the East: 

While Cassander had the smallest territory, and, reign- 
ing in Macedonia, was called the King of the West. 

The Kings of the North and of the South (Syria and 
Egypt) are made very prominent in the history, as we 
have seen, and are particularly described in this eleventh 
of Daniel, and are made prominent in this prophetic repre- 
sentation, through the whole chapter. 

We shall notice, in this lecture, only what relates to the 
facts of history already mentioned. 

The fifth verse reads : "The king of the south shall be 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



179 



Quotation. 



King of the 
South. 
Phrase 
familiar. 



Critical ex- 
amination 
of the par- 
allelism of 
history and 
prophecy. 



strong, and one of his princes ; and he shall be strong 
above him, and he shall have dominion, and his dominion 
shall be a great dominion." 

Here the ' ' king of the South " is mentioned for the 
first time in prophecy ; but this phrase has become familiar 
to us in the history, and we readily recall to mind the fact 
that the ruler in Egypt, the Southern division of the 
Grecian Empire, was called the "king of the South." 
This prophetic language follows immediately that descrip- 
tion given in the fourth verse, where the division of this 
Great Empire into four parts, according to the four 
points of compass, is foretold. By that division, which 
history informs us was made, there was a king located in 
the South, in the JSforth, in the East, and in the West; 
each reigning in his own division of this great government, 
which Alexander had so suddenly left. 

This prophetic language, therefore, must apply to the 
first "king of the South," and onward from his time ; and 
we purpose to analyze this description, that it may be seen 
how clearly the events of history are described in pro- 
phetic story, before they transpired. 

The prophecy states, that " the king" — the first king — 
« ' of the South " — who was Ptolemy Soter in Egypt — 
"shall be strong;" and he was "strong" in his govern- 
ment, for he controlled Egypt, Libya, Cyrenacia, Arabia, 
Palestine, and Ccelo-Syria, beside several islands in the Ea- 
gean sea. He was stronger in his dominion than either 
the king in the East or in the "West ; and, therefore, the 
prophetic statement, " shall be strong," relating to him, — 
" the king of the South," — is significant. The verse-pro- 
phetic continues, — 

' ' And one " — another < ' one " — ' ' of his " — of Alexander's 
"princes, shall be strong above him," — "above" the king 
of the South, Ptolemy Soter, — " and have dominion ; and 
his dominion " — this other ' ' prince's " . . . " dominion " — ' 
"shall be a great dominion," — greater than that of the king 
of the South, Ptolemy Soter. 

This other prince, who was to "be strong above" 



180 THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 

Ptolemy Soter, — " the king of the South," — who was he? 
He must be one of the four kings in this great empire, as 
it was divided; but which one is meant? The language 
cannot be applied to the one in the East, nor to the one in 
the West ; for neither of them were ' ' strong above " < ' the 
king of the South." As this is evident, the "one" de- 
scribed as occupying this position must be the ' ' one " in 
the North, or, " the king of the North," who was Se- 
leucus Nicator ; and history has informed us that Seleu- 
cus Nicator in Syria, the North, was " strong above" Pto- 
lemy Soter, in the South ; his kingdom being the strongest 
of the four. 

The prophecy declares further, that he shall ' < have do- 
minion" and that " his dominion shall be a great domin- 
ion." We have learned from history that Seleucus Nica- 
tor, in the North, did "have dominion," and that "Ms 
dominion" ivas " a great dominion," much larger than that 
of Ptolemy Soter, in the South ; for he ruled Syria, and all 
the countries from Mount Taurus to the river Indus, and 
several provinces in Asia Minor. These facts make the 
application of this prophecy clear and convincing. 

Verse 6. In the sixth verse we are carried forward another step in 

this prophetic representation, as follows : "And in the end 
of years," — after a few years — "they" — the king of the 
South and the king of the North — " shall join themselves 
together," — unite, — "for the king's daughter of the South" 
— of Egypt — < ' shall come to the king of the North " — of 
Syria — "to make an agreement," — the agreement by which 
they "join themselves together;" "the king's daughter 
of the South " being the bond of that " ao-reement." 

Critical ex- This prophetic description is wonderfully peculiar, and 
was fulfilled in a remarkably striking manner, which proved 
that it was of divine origin ; for none but God could have 
described so definitely such unusual events as actually oc- 
curred in the history of those two governments. We have 
noticed, in tracing the history of the rulers in Syria and 
Egypt, that after Antiochus Theos had come upon the 
throne of Syria, in the North, and Ptolemy Philadelphus 



animation. 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 181 

had succeeded to the Egyptian throne, in the South, these 
two kings were involved in trouble ; for Antiochus Theos 
had declared war upon Ptolemy Philadelphus, and marched 
against him with his forces. After the war had been in 
progress for a time, an insurrection in the eastern part of 
Antiochus' dominion, made it necessary to stop the war 
against Ptolemy, as he could not fight in two directions at 
the same time ; but he had involved himsolf to such an ex- 
tent in this Egyptian enterprise, that he could not stop at 
any moment and retire from the field as he might choose. 
He had commenced the war with Ptolemy, and now it was 
Ptolemy's right to say how it should end. Ptolemy having 
become thoroughly aroused, and ambitious to possess the 
country of Syria, and add it to his former dominions, he 
was not disposed to allow this war to end without accom- 
plishing his object. 

But some ' ' agreement " must be made whereby this 
trouble should be settled ; for Antiochus was too hard 
pressed to give attention to it longer. Ptolemy, taking 
advantage of these straitened circumstances which sur- 
rounded Antiochus, proposed to him terms of "agree- 
ment " which would apparently give the crown of Syria to 
the royal house of Egypt, which he so much desired. The 
terms wers as follows: that Antiochus Theos, "the king 
of the North," should divorce his wife Laodice, and dis- 
inherit her two sons, and receive into his palace, as his 
wife and queen, Bernice, the "daughter" of Ptolemy 
Philadelphus, the "king of the South," and make her 
children, who should be born in the royal palace, the heirs 
to the Syrian throne. To this arrangement Antiochus was 
forced by circumstances to submit ; and thus "they" did 
"join themselves together," — Ptolemy Philadelphus and 
Antiochus Theos, — and " the king's daughter of the South" 
— Bernice, "daughter" of Ptolemy, king of Egypt, did 
"come to the king of the North," Antiochus, kiDg of 
Syria, " to make " this " agreement." 

But we read, further: that " He shall not retain the 
power of the arm ; neither shall he stand, nor his arm, but 



182 



THE WORLD'S GEE AT EMPIRES . 



Verse 7. 



Critical ex- 
amination. 



he shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he 
that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these 
times." 

Notwithstanding the "agreement" between Ptolemy 
and Antiochus, "she" — Bernice, the bond of this "agree- 
ment — did " not retain the power of the arm ;" for, in a 
little while after that, this " king's daughter of the South," 
Bernice, came "to the king of the North," and was in- 
stalled in the palace of Antiochus Theos, her father, Ptolemy 
Philadelphus died, — " and he that begat her" was " given 
up." Then Antiochus put away Bernice and her son, who 
had been born to him; "she was given up," and he, 
Antiochus, recalled Laodice, reinstating her in his palace 
as queen. Laodice then poisoned Antiochus, — so "he" 
did not " stand, nor his arm," — and she placed Seleucus 
Callinicus, her son, upon the throne ; then they together, 
Laodice and Seleucus Callinicus her son, pursued Bernice 
and her son to death. And " she," — " the king's daugh- 
ter of the South," — was not only "given up" by Antio- 
chus to be an exile, but was " given up " to death by Lao- 
dice and Seleucus Callinicus. The Egyptian guard which 
accompanied Bernice and her son to protect them was 
also destroyed; and thus " they that brought her" were 
" given up," with all the others who were implicated in 
that peculiar "agreement," and the prophecy was literally 
fulfilled. 

"But," continues the prophecy, " out of a branch of her 
roots shall one stand up in his estate, which shall come 
with an army, and enter into the fortress of the king of 
the North, and shall deal against them and shall prevail." 

We have only to refer to the events of history, which 
followed those already recalled to mind, in order to see 
how remarkably this prophecy, also, was fulfilled. After 
Bernice, the "daughter" of Ptolemy Philadelphus, was 
destroyed, this seventh verse of the prophetic story finds 
its application ; for ' 'out of a branch of her roots" — of Ber- 
mce's — " one " did " stand up in his estate," — her brother, 
Ptolemy Evergetes. He was " out of a branch of" the 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 183 

same "roots" from which she sprang, as they both were 
the offspring of Ptolemy Philadelphia ; and, on the death 
of Ptolemy Philadelphia, this son, Ptolemy Evergetes, 
the brother of Bernice, succeeded to the throne in Egypt. 
When Ptolemy Evergetes learned that Bernice, his sis- 
ter, with her son, had been cruelly put to death by Lao- 
dice and her son Seleucus Callinicus, who was then upon 
the Syrian throne, and therefore " the king of the North," 
he, Ptolemy Evergetes, to avenge the death of his sister, 
did " come with an army, and" did " enter into the for- 
tress" — the strongest holds — " of the king of the North," 
Seleucus Callinicus, — and did "deed against them" — 
Laodice and Seleucus Callinicus, — and did "prevail "to 
such an extent, that he seemed destined to take possession 
of the whole territory belonging to the Northern ruler ; and 
Seleucus Callinicus suffered extremely on account of Pto- 
lemy's success ; for he was reduced to almost the condi- 
tion of a prisoner in his own kingdom. 

Verse 8. The prophetic narrative still continues, by saying : "And 

shall" — this "king of the South," Ptolemy Evergetes, — 
"also carry away captives into Egypt, their gods, with 
princes and with precious vessels of silver and of gold ; 
and he " — Ptolemy Evergetes — " shall continue more years 

Verse 9. than the king of the North," Seleucus Callinicus. "So" 
— in this manner — "the king of the South" — Ptolemy 
Evergetes — "shall come into his kingdom," — the kingdom 
of " the king of the North," — of Seleucus Callinicus, — 
" and shall return into his own land," — the land of Ptolemy 
Evergetes . 

When Ptolemy Evergetes had "come into" the king- 
dom of Seleucus Callinicus, " the king of the North," and 
had taken possession of nearly all of that territory, as we 
have seen from the history, sedition in Egypt, " his own 
land," made it necessary for him to " return" there ; and 
he did "return into his own land," carrying with him 
forty thousand talents of silver, and a large number of 
gold and silver vessels, — "the precious vessels of silver 
and gold," — and two thousand five hundred statues, among 



184 THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 

which were some of the Egyptians' idols or " gods " which 
he had recovered ; they having been sent into Persia by 
Cambyses after his conquests in Egypt — and he also 
carried, beside them, a number of captive princes ; a fact 
which the prophecy covers by saying that these precious 
vessels of silver and gold, and these " gods," were carried 
there " with their princes." Thus the prophecy com- 
pletely represented the events beforehand ; and the events 
as they occurred, completely filled the prophecy, even to 
the extent that the king or the south did "continue more 
years than the king of the north ;" for, Ptolemy 
Evergetes, in Egypt, continued "more years than" 
Seleucus Callinicus did in Syria, both in his life time and 
in his reign. He reigned twenty-five years in the South, 
and continued his reign several years after the death of 
Seleucus Callinicus in the North, who only reigned 
tiventy years, and died, leaving Ptolemy, his southern foe, 
still reigning, in life, and in power upon the throne of 
Egypt ; and thus " the king of the South" did, in a double 
sense, "continue more years" than "the king of the 
North." 
Verse 10 The prophecy then continues: "But his," — Seleucus 

application Callinicus' — " sons " — Seleucus Ceraunus and Anti- 
ochus the Great — "shall be stirred up," — become 
irritated — "and shall assemble a multitude of great forces," 
— raise large armies — "and one" — " one" of them, Anti- 
ochus the Great, — " shall certainly come " — come without 
fail — " and overflow," — flood with his forces — " and pass 
through ;" — through the land of the king of the South — 
"then" — after this — "shall he return" — come back — 
" and be stirred up even to his ' ' — Antiochus' — " fortress," 
— become troubled at home in the strongly fortified places 
of his own government. 

The " sons " of Seleucus Callinicus, — Seleucus Ceraunus 
and Antiochus the Great, — who succeeded to the throne 
of Syria, in their order, did become irritated, — "stirred 
up," — and did raise large armies — "assemble a great 
multitude of great forces," — and "one" of them, the 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



185 



second one, Antiockus the Great, did come without fail — 
* 'certainly come," — and flood the territory with his forces — 
or, "overflow, and pass through" the land of Egypt, in 
the South, making war upon Ptolemy Philopater, the 
" king of the South," who had succeeded to the throne of 
Egypt on the death of Ptolemy Evergetes ; and also 
took from him much of the territory of his kingdom. 
After this — " then " — he did come back — " return " home, 
and became involved in great trouble at home, in the for- 
tresses of his own government, — and so was ' ' stirred up 
even to his fortress." 

Verse 11. In the eleventh verse we read, that — "The king of the 

south " — Ptolemy Philopater — ' ' shall be moved with 
choler," — with anger — "and shall come forth," — advance 
— "and fight" — engage in war — "with him," — Antiochus 
the Great — "even the king of the North," — the ruler in 
Syria — "and he" — the king of the North, Antiochus the 
Great — ' ' shall set forth a great multitude " — forces to 
defend himself — "but the multitude shall be given into 
his hand," — the hand of Ptolemy Philopater, the invader. 
History has shown us that Ptolemy Philopater, ,king of 
Egypt, did become moved with anger, — ' ' choler " — and 
did advance with his forces, and engage in war, — "and 
fight" with Antiochus the Great, — "with him" — the 
ruler in Syria, — "even" with "the king of the North — 
and Antiochus the Great," "he " — the king of the North, — 
"did set forces to defend himself " — " a great multitude," — 
but his forces were taken by the invader, Ptolemy Philop- 
ater, — "given into his hand," — as he gained a signal 
victory over Antiochus the Great and his forces. 

Verse 12. But we read further in the prophetic description : — 

" And when he" — when Ptolemy Philopater, the king of 
the South — ' ' hath taken away the multitude " — gained 
the victory over Antiochus the Great, "the king of the 
North," — "his heart" — Ptolemy Philopater's "heart" — 
"shall be lifted up" — exalted — and he shall cast dawn" — 
destroy — "many ten thousands," — "but he" — Ptolemy 
Philopater — " shall not be strengthened," — made strong- — 



186 THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 

"by it ;" — this success — ' ' for the king of the North " — 
Antiochus the Great — "shall return," — come again — 
"and set forth a multitude," — marshal many forces 
against, — "greater than" — more numerous than — "the 
former," — "the former" "multitude," or forces — "and 
shall certainly" — without fail — "come, after certain 
years," — advance after a time — " with a great army," — the 
one already described as being " greater than the former" 
. . . "multitude," — "and with much riches" — having 
abundant means to do the work. 

History has recorded the facts, as we have seen, that 
when Ptolemy Philopater had gained the victory over 
Antiochus the Great, he became exalted in his own 
estimation, and " lifted up," and he destroyed many 
Jews and others; thus "casting down many ten thou- 
sands." But he was not made strong by this attempted 
dignity ; for Antiochus the Great came again upon him 
with his forces, — a larger number than he had the first 
time, — and his iveakness became more manifest than his 
strength, as he endeavored to operate against the forces of 
Antiochus ; which did not fail to come at the proper time, 
to destroy his armies and break down his egotism and 
boasted power ; and thus the prophecy was fulfilled. 
Verse 14. ' 'And," continues the prophecy, ' ' in those times " — times 

approximate to the events already described — "there 
shall many stand up" — a large number shall come — - 
" against the king of the South," — Ptolemy Epiphanes, 
the son and successor of Ptolemy Philopater. We have 
learned from the historic detail, that the king of 
Macedonia united his forces with those of the king of 
Syria, to dethrone Ptolemy Epiphanes, the boy-king, who 
was upon the throne in Egypt as the successor of 
Ptolemy Philopater, his father; and thus "many" did 
"stand up against the king of the South." Again we 
read in prophetic story: "also," — beside these — "the 
robbers " — or thieves — ' ' of thy " — Daniel's — ' ' people " 
— the Jews — "shall" — "the robbers" shall — "exalt 
themselves" — lift up themselves — "to establish" — make 



THE GRECIAN EMPIRE. 



187 



sure, or confirm — "the vision;" — Daniel's vision, of 
which this chapter is an explanation, all parties introduced 
doing their part to "confirm "it, or make it sure, these 
" robbers " with the rest, — " but they " — " the robbers" 
— "shall fall." Some apostate Jews, thinking to gain 
advantage to themselves by favoring Ptolemy Epiph- 
anes, the king of Egypt, identified themselves with 
him, placing their Jewish rights and ordinances at his 
disposal, to observe them or not, according to his dic- 
tation ; thus robbing the Jewish church— the body of 
Daniel's " people " — of her sacred rites and ceremonies, to 
support a heathen king, because of the advantage they 
expected to derive on account of it ; but they fell by the 
power of Antiochus, "the king of the North," when he 
regained power in Judea. 

Verse 15. The prophecy still continues the description : "So " — 

after this manner — "the king of the north" — Antiochus 
the Great" — " shall come, and cast up a mount," — throw 
up breast-works — "and take the most fenced" — the principal 
fortified — " cities ; and the arms of the south" — of Egypt 
— "shall not withstand him," — stand against him — 
"neither his chosen people," — the Jews — "neither shall 
there be any strength to withstand," — none able to resist. 
Antiochus the Great did come and throw up breast-works 
against Egypt, and took the principal cities of that 
country, the forces of Egypt not being strong enough to 
resist him ; and Antiochus overpowered all, even the Jews, 
the " chosen people" of God. 

Verse 16. " But," continues the prophecy, "he" — "the king of 

the North," Antiochus the Great, — "that cometh against 
him" — against the king of the South, Ptolemy Epiphanes, 
— " shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand 
before him ; and he shall stand in the glorious land," — the 
land of Palestine — " which by his hand shall be con- 
sumed." This is simply a summing up of the work of 
Antiochus the Great, to which we have just referred. 

Verse 17. In the seventeenth verse, we have some of the crafty work 

of Antiochus, and its results, portrayed. 



188 THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 

" He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of 
his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him ; thus shall 
he do : and he shall give him the daughter of women, 
corrupting her [or, to corrupt her] ; but she shall not stand 
on his side, neither be for him." 

We have noticed that Antiochus the Great, in his efforts 
against Ptolemy Epiphanes, came in contact with the Ro- 
mans, who adopted the interests of Ptolemy Epiphenes, to 
defend him against Antiochus the Great, " the king of the 
North ;" and that Antiochus, fearing lest he should not suc- 
ceed in overpowering Egypt and extending his kingdom 
into that country, because of the Romans, sought to ac- 
complish his design of obtaining power over Ptolemy Epi- 
phanes in a manner not calculated to excite suspicion. 
He therefore gave Ptolemy Epiphanes, the king of Egypt, 
his daughter, in marriage, thinking " to corrupt her" into 
the betrayal of her husband into his hands. So "he gave 
him. * the daughter of women, to corrupt her ;' " but in- 
stead of betraying her husband, Ptolemy Epiphanes, into 
the hands of her father, Antiochus the Great, she adopted 
at once the interests of her husband, and joined with him 
and the Romans against her father ; even congratulating 
the Romans when they finally triumphed over Antiochus 
the Great. 

So, notwithstanding the fact that he gave her in mar- 
riage for the purpose of corrupting her, she did " not 
stand on his side, nor be for him ;" and the prophetic de- 
scription of these strange events was remarkably fulfilled. 

Closing re- 
marks. Xbtis brings us to the close of our third lecture, and to 



o k 



the end of the prophetic utterances which relate to the 
events of history, as given in this lecture. We leave the 
remainder of this eleventh chapter of Daniel to be consid- 
ered in the lectures which are to follow ; as it cannot be 
properly understood until we begin to trace the history of 
the Romans ; for Grecian history is intermixed with that 
of the Romans beyond the days of Antiochus the Great, as 
we stated in closing the historical account. 




Heiiotype, Panting Co. boston. 



LECTURE IV. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



Introduc- 
tion. 



Home. 

The seven 
hilled city. 
Its loca- 
tion. 

Founded 
by Romu- 
lus in 754 
B.C. 



Castle and 
huts. 
Ruled by 
kings 243 
years. 



Names of 
the kings 
in their 
order. 



Romulus. 

Nnma 
Pompilius. 



FROM 754 B.C. TO 395 A.D. 

The subject of this and the succeeding lecture is, the 
history of the Roman, or The Fourth Universal Em- 
pire ; which has extended, in some form, down to our own 
times. 

Rome, the imperial city, and capital of this fourth 
empire, known as the "seven hilled city," is located in 
Italy, on the banks of the Tiber, about sixteen miles from 
the shores of the Mediterranean sea. 

This city was founded by Romulus, according to the 
most reliable authority, in the year 754 B.C. Some his- 
torians, however, give us 753 B.C., and others 752 B.C., 
as the date of the founding of this city, at which time it 
consisted of a small castle and a few huts on Mount Pali- 
tine. For a period of two hundred and forty-three years 
this government was ruled by kings, whose reign dates 
from 752 B.C. to 509 B.C., during which time seven kings 
succeeded to the throne, in the following order : — 

1st, Romulus, from 752 B.C. to 715 B.C. 

2d, Ncma Pompilius, 

3d, Tullus Hostilius, 

4th, Ancus Martius, 

5th, Tarquinus Priscus, 

6th, Servius Tullius, 

7th, Tarquinus Superbus, 

The reign of Romulus is said to have been mild and 
just ; that of Numa Pompilius, a continued triumph, dis- 
tinguished by wisdom, which was almost superhuman. 



" 715 ' 


" 672 


" 672 « 


" 640 


« 640 < 


" 616 


" 616 « 


" 578 


" 578 ' 


" 509 
npllp.d. 



190 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Tullus 
Hostilius. 



Ancus 
Martius. 

Tarquinus 
Priscus. 



Servius 
Tullius. 



Tarquinus 
Superbus. 



Tarquins 
banished 
509 B.C. 



Brutus and 
Colatinus. 



Tarquinus' 
attempt to 
recover the 
throne. 
Titus and 
Tiberius. 
Traitors. 



Con- 
demned. 



Executed. 



Confusion. 



Dictator. 



The com- 
mons in- 
dignant. 



During the reign of Tullus Hostilius occurred the 
famous battle between the Horatii and the Curiatii. 

Ancus Martius reigned twenty-three years in prosper- 
ity, and was distinguished for his great piety. The reign 
of Tarquinus Priscus was long, and almost miraculously 
prosperous. 

Servius Tullius proved a humane and able monarch, 
concentrating his energies to the promotion of the welfare 
of the people. Tarquinus Superbus was a tyrant, who 
gained the throne by assassinating the king, Servius Tul- 
lius, and his administration was as execrable as were the 
means by which he attained to the throne. On account of an 
outrage committed by his son, who was heir to the throne, 
which thereby caused the death of the virtuous Lucretia, 
the gates of Rome were closed against him, and the Tar- 
quins were banished from the throne forever, at this time, 
(509 B.C.). 

The supreme power of the commonwealth was then 
transferred to two annually-elected magistrates, called 
Consuls. The first two consuls were Brutus, and Cola- 
tinus the husband of Lucretia. 

Tarquinus made an effort to recover the throne, and 
succeeded, by bribes, in securing the co-operation of the 
two sons of Brutus, Titus and Tiberius. But the trai- 
torous young men were arrested and brought before the 
tribunal of their father ; who, with the justice of a stern, 
inflexible Roman, in accordance with the law, doomed 
them to be scourged and beheaded ; and, while his heart 
was wrung with anguish, he saw the sentence executed, 
apparently unmoved. 

The confusion in Rome was so great on account of the 
efforts of Tarquinus and his family (called the Tarquins) 
to recover the throne, that the Senate appointed a dictator, 
one Spurius Cassius, and thus established an aristocracy 
which was as insupportable as the monarchy which they 
had destroyed. The people, called Commons, became so 
indignant and excited, that the patricians of the government 
were alarmed ; and, to appease the commons, made terms 



THE BOMAN EMPIRE. 



191 



Tribunes. 



with them, which were ratified upon the Sacred Hill. 
In accordance with those terms three officers were ap- 
pointed, who were called Tribunes. These were increased 
to Jive, and subsequently to ten. They were chosen by 
the people, and had power to protect them, even against 
the Consuls ; with the power, also, of a veto over all the 
acts of the Senate. 



Italy. 



Its differ- 
ent inhab- 
itants. 



Rome a 

Latin city 



Rome in 
peril. 



As we have now come to the time when the Romans 
came in contact more particularly with the inhabitants of 
the different provinces of Italy, we wish to notice that 
country, with its inhabitants. 

Italy is a peninsula, in form like the leg and foot of a 
man, extending from the foot of the Alps into the Mediter- 
ranean sea. It is about seven hundred and fifty miles 
long, and about one hundred and fifty miles wide in the 
extreme north. In the centre it is about eighty miles 
wide, from the bay of Naples to the Adriatic sea ; bat it 
dwindles toward the south to about eighteen miles from 
sea to sea. 

This country was divided, before the growth of the Ro- 
man power, among different peoples, among whom were 
the Ligurians, Etruscans, Rutllians, Umbrians, JEqui- 
ans, Sabines, Latins and Samnites. 

" Two Latin settlements and one Sabine, were united 
together to form the city and government of Rome ; but 
the Sabine element was thoroughly Latinized, and Home 
was counted a Latin city. " 

According to Italian story, Home was in such peril from 
the allied assaults of the JEquians and Sabines, that it be- 
came necessary, in 458 B.C., to appoint a Dictator for the 
Roman army, under the command of Lucirs Minucius, 
one of the consuls, having been allured into a narrow de- 
file among mountains of inaccessible heights, were block- 
aded by the enemy, and the army seemed doomed to 
destruction, and Rome to be left to the mercy of the con- 
queror. The Senate was hastily called together. Con- 
sternation and dismay prevailed. 



192 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Cincin- 
natus 
appointed 
Dictator. 



Receives 
the news. 

His reluc- 
tance. 
Fears. 



Leads the 
Romans. 
Victory. 
Returns in 
16 days. 

Further 
changes. 



Procure a 
copy of 
Grecian 
laws. 

Decemvirs. 



Ten tables. 

Why so 
called. 



Comitium. 



Two other 
tables. 



New De- 
cemvirs. 



Their 
course. 



Amid their deliberations upon the danger which sur- 
rounded them, they cried out, "Who can deliver us?" 
" There is but one man," it was said, " who can help us, 
and that man is Lucius Quintius Cincinnatus ;" and he 
was immediately appointed dictator. 

Cincinnatus received the news of his appointment while 
at work in his field. 

He reluctantly left his work, saying to his wife, "I 
fear, my Racillia, that this year our little fields must 
remain unsown." 

But he led the Romans to victory, and in sixteen days 
returned to sow his fields, and to give his attention to 
those things which were more congenial to him than the 
excitements and carnage of war. Soon, further chancres 
were found necessary ; because of the jealousies of the 
people. To accomplish this, the Romans sent three com- 
missioners to Athens to procure a copy of the Grecian 
laws. On their return, ten magistrates were appointed, 
who were called Decemvirs, who were to compile a body 
of laws for the government of Rome, and to rule for one 
year. These Decemvirs applied themselves to the framing 
of just laws, and produced the " Ten Tables ;" which were 
approved and ratified by the Romans, and were so called 
because the laws were engraved upon ten tablets of brass. 
These tablets were set up in the Comitium, the great 
public hall. 

At the end of the year, it was claimed that two other 
tables should be added ; and, that they might be arranged, 
it was decided to continue the office of Decemvirs another 
year, and accordingly new Decemvirs were appointed, at 
the head of whom they placed Appius Claudius, a man of 
arrogant character. These Decemvirs ruled with haughti- 
ness. They held secret meetings among themselves, 
conniving to perpetuate themselves in the office ; and at 
the end of the year of the Decemvirate, they refused to 
vacate it. But, finally, these patrican Decemvirs were 
compelled to resign, and ten Tribunes were elected from 
among the commons, and invested with enlarged powers. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



193 



Gauls. 

401 B.C. 
Their 
location. 
In 390 B.C. 
advance to 
Rome. 

Rome 
burned. 
Citadel 
saved. 

War with 
the Sam- 
nites. 



Samnitian 
yoke. 



Romans 
overpower 
the 

Samnites. 
266 B.C. 

Masters of 
Italy. 



Rome dur- 
ing the 
supremacy 
of the pre- 
ceeding 
empires. 



Two magistrates were also elected, with the title of 
Consuls, namely, L. Valerius and M. Horatius ; and 
thus the affairs of Rome were adjusted for the time 
being. 

The Gauls — who are first mentioned in history in 
401 B.C., — occupied a part of the territory now known as 
France, and extended somewhat into Italy. In 390 B.C., 
they advanced upon the city of Rome, which had been 
considerably enlarged and was quite strongly fortified : 
they laid siege to it and burned it ; but the citadel was 
saved by the cackling of geese. 

The Romans were afterward involved in war with the 
Samnites, and became so reduced under the power of 
their enemies, that in the year 321 B.C., the whole 
Roman army was forced to bow and pass under the Sam- 
nitian yoke. This yoke was composed of three spears, 
two of which were fixed in the ground, and the other was 
fastened across the top. The Roman officers, with their 
soldiers, were compelled to bow and pass under that yoke, 
in token of their submission. But they soon rallied, and 
were successful in overpowering the Samnites ; and then 
they came in contact with the inhabitants of other prov- 
inces, whom they conquered, and in the year 266 B.C., 
they succeeded in making themselves masters of all Italy, 
and thus came to occupy an important position among the 
nations of the world. 

Although the city of Rome was founded about one hun- 
dred and ninety-five years before the supremacy of the 
Babylonian Empire, we are obliged to wait until that 
first great empire, and its successor, the Medo-Persian 
Empire, which formed the subjects of the first two 
lectures, had successively filled their places, and the 
Grecian, which was the third great empire, was even 
declining in power, before the Romans had become strong 
enough to control even the territory of Italy. 

As soon as they possessed Italy, their ambition began 
to extend beyond the boundaries of that peninsula to 
Sicily and Carthage, and then occurred the celebrated 



194 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Punic wars 

These two 
nations 
during 200 
years. 



Rival pow- 
ers. 



1st Punic 
war, 23 
years. 

Roman 
command- 
ers. 



Carthagin- 
ian com- 
manders. 



2d Punic 
war, 17 

years. 

Scipio. 
Hannibal. 



Their 
ability. 



Conversa- 
tion be- 
tween the 
two com- 
manders. 



Punic Wars, which were wars between the Romans and the 
Carthaginians. For over two hundred years, these two 
nations had been watching with jealous eyes each other's 
power ; but they had removed every cause of contention, 
by settling, in three different treaties, the boundaries of 
their respective kingdoms, and the question, how far each 
of the two nations might sail into the Mediterranean sea, 
without offending the other. They were, therefore, rival 
powers : and the time finally came when they were to test 
each other's strength, and decide forever which should 
gain the coveted position of dictator to the other ; and, 
the Punic wars were waged. 

The First Punic War commenced in the year 264 B.C. , 
and continued twenty-three years, to 241 B.C. In this 
first war the Eomans were commanded by their consuls, 
among whom were Claudius, Cornelius C. Duilius, M. 
Atilius, Regulus and L. Manlius ; and the Carthagin- 
ians were commanded by Hasdrubal, Bostar, and Amil- 
car. This struggle ended by a treaty, which gave more 
advantage to the Romans than to the Carthaginians. 

The Second Punic War commenced in 218 B.C., anil 
continued seventeen years, to the year 201 B.C. In this 
second conflict Scipio the Younger figured largely at the 
head of the Roman forces, and Hannibal, the son of Amil- 
car, who had been compelled by his father to swear upon 
the altars eternal vengeance upon Rome, when he was only 
nine 3 r ears old, occupied the prominent position of com- 
mander in the army of the Carthaginians, to operate 
against Scipio ; and, if possible, to wreak his sworn ven- 
geance upon the Romans. 

They were both mighty men ; and with wonderful abil- 
ity they manoeuvred their forces against each other. But 
both could not triumph ; and, as the Romans seemed des- 
tined to prevail above all their opposers, this second war 
closed in their favor. We notice an interesting conversa- 
tion which occurred between Scipio and Hannibal, when, 
after fighting against each other so powerfully, they met 
under peculiar circumstances, and pleasantly conversed of 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE . 



195 



The Ro- 
mans turn 
to Greece. 



Perseus. 
Roman 
province, 
168 B.C. 
192 B.C. 
Syria a Ro- 
man prov- 
ince in 65 
B.C. 

Battle of 
Magnesia, 
190 B.C. 

Carthage 
repaired. 

Cato. 



their experience, and were filled with admiration for each 
other. Scipio inquired of Hannibal who he considered 
the greatest general who had ever lived, when the Cartha- 
ginian replied : " Alexander the Great ; because that, 
with a handful of Macedonians, he had defeated number- 
less armies, and carried his conquests into countries so re- 
mote that it seemed scarcely possible for any man to even 
travel so far." The Roman commander asked to whom he 
gave the second rank ; and he answered : "To Pyrrhus ; 
for," said Hannibal, " he first understood the art of pitch- 
ing a camp to advantage : no commander ever made a 
more judicious choice of his posts, was better skilled in 
drawing up his forces, or was more happy in winning the 
affection of foreign soldiers." Scipio then asked : " Who 
might be the third" when the native of Carthage declared, 
" Hannibal." " Then," asked the Roman, " what would 
you have said if you had conquered me?" " I would have 
ranked myself above Alexander, Pyrrhus, and all the gen- 
erals the world ever produced," said Hannibal ; and thus, 
in a delicate manner, placed Scipio really above every 
other general. 

The second conflict with the Carthaginians having ended 
in victory to the Romans, they turned their attention to 
the subjugation of Greece and Macedonia, the Western 
division of Alexander's Empire, and many battles were 
fought, and scenes of warfare continued until the days of 
Perseus, when this territory was reduced to a Roman 
province, about 168 B.C. 

In 192 B.C., Rome engaged in war with Antiochus, 
king of Syria, and was victorious ; but Syria did not be- 
come fully a Roman province until Antiochus Asiaticus 
was overpowered by Pompey, in the year 65 B.C. 

In 190 B.C., the battle of Magnesia occurred, in which 
the Romans triumphed, as usual. 

About fifty years after the close of the Second Punic 
war, the Carthaginians having repaired their city, the 
Romans being excited by Cato, an austere man, to be- 
lieve that Carthage must be destroyed, again declared 



196 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



3d Punic 
war, 5 yrs. 



Carthage 
700 years 
old. 

700,000 in- 
habitants. 
Scipio 
weeps. 
Quotes a 
verse from 
Homer. 



war upon their Punic foes in 151 B.C., which resulted cru- 
elly in the burning of that city, the rival of Rome, in 146 
B.C. This is termed the third Punic war, and it lasted 
five years. 

It is said that Carthage had existed from its foundation 
more than seven hundred years; and that, at the com- 
mencement of the Punic trouble, it contained seven hun- 
dred thousand inhabitants. Scipio, the consul, weeping 
over the ruins of Carthage, repeated a verse from Homer, 
which had been composed on the siege of Troy, that famous 
siege which we described in our previous lecture, Scipio in- 
tending, by this quotation, to liken Carthage to Troy, and 
to intimate what he thought would one day be the fate of 
Rome, also. The verse which he repeated is as follows, — 



The quota- 
tion. 



"The day will come, that great avenging day, 
"Which Troy's proud glories in the dust shall lay; 
"When Priam's powers and Priam's self shall fall, 
And one prodigious ruin follow all." 



The Ro- 
mans turn 
again to 
the east. 
Mistress of 
the world. 



60 B.C.Ju- 
lius CiEsar. 



His ambi- 
tion and 
success. 



Opposed 
by Crassus 
and Pom- 
pey. 

Pompey's 
support. 



This prediction, that Rome would share the fate of Car- 
thage, may yet be fulfilled. 

The Romans having destroyed the city which had ex- 
cited their jealousy, again turned their attention to the 
East, and continued their conquests, until Rome became 
"Mistress of the World." 

The means by which she finally came to occupy this posi- 
tion, now properly demand our attention. 

In the year 60 B.C., Julius Caesar, who was the princi- 
pal man of the times, having just returned from a success- 
ful war in Spain, aspired to the supreme power of the 
commonwealth; and he craftily advanced, step by step, 
until he came to stand at the head of the government ; 
although he did not succeed in erecting it into a monarchy, 
and never enjoyed the pleasure of having the crown placed 
upon his brow. 

At first he was opposed by Crassus, and then by Pom- 

PEY. 

Pompey had the co-operation of the senate and the peo- 



THE BOMAN EMPIRE. 



197 



Caesar's 
army. 

In camp. 



Bounda- 
ries of his 
province. 



Pompey 
obtains a 
decree. 
Mark An- 
tony flees 
with the 
news. 
Caesar's 
course. 



Crosses the 
Rubicon. 



Romans 
surprised. 
Pompey 
flees. 

Caesar ad- 
vances to 
Rome. 
Justifies 
himself. 
Adjusts the 
affairs of 
Italy. 
Marc An- 
tony com- 
mander-in- 
chief. 

Caesar goes 
to Spain. 
His work 
there. 
Returns to 
Rome. 



pie ; and CLesar, on the other hand, was supported by 
his powerful army. At the time of which we have been 
speaking, Caesar was encamped with his army in the prov- 
ince just north of the Rubicon; for "no Roman com- 
mander was allowed to pass that river with an armed 
force, as he would enter then upon the immediate juris- 
diction of the senate and people ; therefore, the passage of 
the ' interdicted stream ' was considered a declaration of 
war upon Rome." 

While Caesar was in camp, Pompey obtained a decree 
from the senate commanding Caesar to disband his troops. 
Marc Antony, then a tribune, fled with the news to Cae- 
sar's camp. 

Julius Caesar, the ambitious general, became greatly 
agitated. To obey that command, would be to place him- 
self in the power of his enemy ; and to refuse to submit to 
the decree would be to set the power of the senate aside, 
and the laws of his country at defiance. But the matter 
must be decided ; and, with the sternness of a mighty 
man of war, he settled the important question concerning 
his course of action, and quickly marched his forces to the 
brink of the river Rubicon, where, for a moment, he 
paused, with an excited mind, and then suddenly dashed 
forward, exclaiming: "The die is cast!" In other 
words : " I have decided the matter — war is declared ! " 

His proceedings surprised his enemies. Pompey fled 
before him, and crossed the Adriatic into Greece, leaving 
Caesar in possession of all Italy. 

That daring warrior advanced to Rome, called the sen- 
ate together, justified his conduct, and appointed lieuten- 
ants over the different provinces of Italy, with legions of 
soldiers at their command; and he made Marc Antony 
commander-in-chief over the whole. He then proceeded 
in person to Spain, for the purpose of bringing the army, 
which had been left there, more fully under his power, as 
he knew it to be somewhat under the influence of Pompey. 

He accomplished his design, and returned to Rome, 
leaving one of his lieutenants to the command in Spain. 



198 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Romans 
astonished 



Cicero's 
statement. 



Pompey in 
Greece. 



Cassar 

follows in 

pursuit. 

Pompey's 

army 

larger than 

Caesar's. 



Lovers of 
liberty. 

Caesar pro- 
poses 
peace. 

Pompey 
rejects the 
propo- 
sition. 
An engage- 
ment. 
Pharsalia. 
The battle. 



Caesar 

victorious. 

Pompey 

flees again. 

Caesar lost 

200 men. 

Pompey 

15,000 

killed. 

24,000 

prisoners. 



The Romans were astonished at his movements, and 
knew not how to act. Cicero, comparing the two, said : 
" Pompey has the better cause ; but Cesar is the abler 
man:" and because he was "the abler man," he was at 
last able to triumph over the one whom Cicero claimed 
had " the better cause," " which was the cause of Roman 
liberty." 

Pompey having entered Greece, he began to make 
vigorous preparations for war, and succeeded in that 
country, which had become a Roman province, in raising 
a large army, with which to oppose Julius Caesar. 

Caesar, learning of his work, proceeded into Greece, 
where he found Pompey at the head of an army much 
larger than that under his own immediate command ; for a 
large number of his own soldiers had been left in Italy, 
and others in Spain, so that the troops under his 
immediate control were comparatively few. He therefore 
thought it not prudent to risk a battle with Pompey ; for, 
beside the large army which that rival had raised, he had 
in his camp all the "lovers of Roman liberty," among 
whom were Cicero, Cato and Marcus Brutus. Caesar, 
therefore, proposed terms of peace ; but Pompey, feeling 
assured that he had sufficient strength to vanquish his foe, 
rejected the proposition. Then Caesar sought to bring 
about an engagement, and on July 20th, in the year 48 
B.C., " The two armies were drawn up on the memorable 
plain of Pharsalia," and there the decisive battle was 
fought; and, as Willard says: "They who had sat 
together in council, and had shared the same social repast, 
now stood with deadly weapons to shed each other's blood." 

They clashed in the bloody conflict, and the ground 
was stained with " Roman blood, shed by Roman hands." 

Contrary to the expectations of Pompey, Caesar was 
victorious, and he was again obliged to flee before that 
enemy. 

Caesar lost but two hundred men ; while Pompey lost 
fifteen thousand, in the battle, and twenty-four thousand 
were taken prisoners. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



199 



Pompey 
seeks pro- 
tection. 

He is 
assassin- 
ated. 

Caesar pur- 
sues him. 



Murderer 
punished. 

Cresar 

rules 

Rome. 

Character 
of his rule. 



Ambition 

not 

satisfied. 

Aspires 
still to the 
crown. 



Opposed 
still. 



Con- 
spiracy. 

Cassius. 
Brutus. 



Ides of 
March. 



loth of 
March, 
44 B.C. 



Pompey then sought protection in Egypt ; but Ptolemy, 
thinking to gain the favor of Julius Caesar, caused him 
to be assassinated as he arrived in the harbor of Alex- 
andria. 

Caesar pursued Pompey to Egypt. When he arrived 
there, the head of the fugitive-general was presented to 
him. He was horrified at the sight, and commanded his 
murderer to be punished. 

Caesar finally triumphed over all his enemies, and 
became the ruler of the Roman government. 

He was mild and kind in his rule. He forgave those 
even who had operated against him ; and, feeling his 
affections drawn out particularly towards Marcus Brutus, 
he adopted him as his son, and bestowed favors upon him 
which only one with a father's interest would think of 
bestowing upon a son. 

But Caesar's ambition was not satisfied. To stand- at 
the head of a monarchy, and to wear the royal crown, and 
to sway the sceptre of a king, was his controlling desire 
and determination ; but in his efforts to attain to that 
position he lost his life. 

The Romans were determined that he should never 
succeed in erecting their government into a monarchy ; 
and fearing very much that he might succeed, owing to 
his position at the head of the government, they arranged 
a conspiracy for his assassination. Cassius was the 
originator of this conspiracy, and succeeded in enlisting 
the co-operation of Brutus ; and a large number of others 
soon entered into the arrangement, until sixty senators 
had combined to destroy their ruler. 

Caesar ordered the senate to convene on the fifteenth of 
March, known as the Ides of March. It was rumored 
that this was done that he might avail himself of the 
opportunity to obtain the title of king, and to be placed 
in the long coveted throne of a monarch ; and the con- 
spirators resolved to end his ambition by destroying his 
life. 

On that fifteenth of March, in the year 44 B.C., the 



200 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Con- 
spirators 
attack 
Caesar. 



Caesar 
falls. 



23 wounds. 



Age, 56 yrs 

"What is 
said of him 



The scene 
produced. 

Friends 
and foes. 



Brutus and 
his sword. 



senators came together, according to the appointment of 
Caesar ; and when that unsuspecting ruler came in to pre- 
side over the senate as usual, the cruel plotters fell upon 
him with their swords. He attempted to defend himself 
at first, but seeing his adopted son, Brutus, with a sword 
gleaming in his hand, and about to strike, he exclaimed: 
" And you, too, Brutus ! " as though he would say, "Is 
it possible that you are among my enemies, and seeking to 
destroy my life ! You, upon whom I have bestowed so 
many favors, and whom I have loved as a son ! " 

He made no further effort to defend his life ; but 
wrapped his mantle, in a dignified manner, about his head, 
and fell in the midst of his cruel conspirators, pierced with 
twenty-three wounds. 

Thus ended the life of the noble Julius Caesar, in the 
fifty-sixth year of his age. 

It is said that he had conquered three hundred nations, 
had taken eight hundred cities, and defeated, in different 
battles, three millions of men, one million of whom were 
killed. 

The assassination of Julius Csesar in the senate produced 
a confusion and consternation which it is impossible to de- 
scribe. He had friends as well as foes ; but those who 
loved him were obliged to witness the cruel deed, being 
powerless to rescue him from the hands of his blood- 
thirsty haters. As their victim fell, Brutus, brandishing 
his dagger, with the blood of Ceesar dripping from its 
blade, turning to Cicero, exclaimed: " Sic semper tyran- 
nis!" > — Thus always with tyrants ! 

He thus gave a melo-dramatic effect to the awful tra- 
gedy, and made the assassins appear to be true, loyal men, 
who had done the deed in the pure interest of freedom, to 
rid the country of a despot. But Caesar was not a " ty- 
rant." The tyranny was in the cruel, lawless assassina- 
tion ; and the words of Brutus, uttered by himself, or by 
Wilkes Booth, or any other of his imitators, can only 
make it appear that the assassin is the "tyrant," whatever 
his claim may be. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



201 



The con- 
spirators. 



Attempt to 
grasp the 
power. 

Cicero's 
advice. 



Marc An- 
tony. 



Caesar's 
will pro- 
duced. 



Contents 
of the will. 



Its charac- 
ter. 



Its effect. 



Funeral 
procession. 



The friends of the fallen Caesar fled for their lives, lest 
they should also be destroyed. The conspirators kept 
themselves in a position to insure mutual protection ; and 
attempted to justify the deed they had committed, and 
they sought to grasp the supreme power of the govern- 
ment. The leaders of the blood-stained assassins, Cassius 
and Brutus, were advised by Cicero, who had used his 
influence against Julius Caesar, and in favor of the sena- 
torial mob, to call the senate together, and to grasp the 
reins of government, before the excitement occasioned by 
the death of Caesar should subside. But, before they 
could do so, Marc Antony, in his position as consul, 
legally summoned that august body to assemble on the 
seventeenth of March — two days after the assassination. 

Caesar had made a will, and that will was produced and 
read to the people. It was of a character to shame his 
enemies, and to make his friends more indignant against 
those who had been instrumental in destroying his life. 

In this will, which was written some time before, Caesar 
had declared his nephew, Caius Octaviits, to be heir to 
his property, and had adopted him into his family, to bear 
the name of Caesar ; and every Roman citizen was kindly 
remembered, and some token of his affection was be- 
queathed to each of them. It was evident, from the char- 
acter of the will, that Caesar had no suspicion of evil de- 
signs against himself on the part of any ; for in it, even 
those whose hands had now destroyed his life were spe- 
cially regarded. 

The reading of the will produced a change in the feel- 
ings of his opposers ; and they voted, with his friends, to 
conduct his funeral in a grandly magnificent manner, at 
the public expense. 

Marc Antony was appointed to deliver the oration ; and 
the body of Julius Caesar was borne through the streets 
upon an ivory bier, which was ornamented with scarlet 
and gold ; and the dress in which he was assassinated was 
carried at the head of the procession. 

When they reached the place where the burial rites and 



202 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Funeral 
ceremonies 



Dispute. 



Anxiety to 
honor him. 



Fire set to 
the bier. 



Enthusias- 
tic scene. 



What fol- 
lows the 
burning of 
Caesar. 



A mob. 

Its object. 



Not suc- 
cessful. 



Confusion. 
Monument 

Altar. 



ceremonies were to be performed, Antony delivered a brief 
eulogy, after which some resolutions, which had been 
passed by the senate, extolling and exonerating Caesar, 
were read. They then began to dispute about the place 
where the body should be burned (for he was to be cre- 
mated) , each being anxious to locate the spot ; and all 
were interested that the solemn rite should be observed in 
the most honorable place in the city. While they were 
discussing the question, two of Caesar's old and well-tried 
soldiers stepped forward and set fire to the bier upon 
which the body of their commander rested. The flames 
kindled upon the gorgeous drapery which covered him, 
and an enthusiastic scene followed, such as has never been 
surpassed. Ladies excitedly rushed forward and threw 
their scarfs and mantles upon the pile ; the soldiers pressed 
to the bier and cast their implements of war into the 
flames ; and the people broke open houses and temples, 
seizing whatever of furniture they could find, which they 
quickly converted into fuel for the fire that was so rapidly 
consuming the body of their assassinated ruler. 

When the flames had devoured him, and Julius Caesar 
was thus completely removed from their sight, they began 
to realize the cruelty of Ms murderers as they had not done 
before. Feelings of indignation burned, until every pas- 
sion was thoroughly excited and then they began to cry 
for vengeance upon those who had done the bloody deed ; 
and an infuriated mob, terrible to behold, rushed madly 
onward to the dwellings of Cassius and Brutus, determined 
to destroy those leaders, through whose influence the 
slaughter of a noble Roman ruler had been accomplished. 
But the vindictive mob-execution was prevented by the 
troops, which had providently been stationed to protect 
the lives of those who had led a smaller mob to execute 
one against whom their jealousy had been excited. Great 
confusion prevailed for many days. The people erected 
a marble monument to the memory of Caesar. It was 
twenty feet high, and bore the inscription, " To the Fa- 
ther or his Country." They placed an altar beside it, 



THE BOMAN EMPIRE. 



203 



Excite- 
ment 
subsides. 

Antony. 



Octavius at 
this time. 



He starts 
for Rome. 



Learns of 
his ap- 
pointment 
to heirship 
Takes the 
name of 
Cassar. 



Interview 
with An- 
tony. 



Repelled. 
Indignant. 



Antony's 
course. 



and offered sacrifices to Caesar as to a god. The excite- 
ment at length subsided, and Marc Antony gradually 
assumed the reins of government, being ambitious to 
establish himself as Caesar's successor, notwithstanding 
the adoption of Caius Octavius into the Cesar family. 

This nephew of Caesar's had for some time been regarded 
by his associates as the probable heir of Caesar. At the 
time of Caesar's death, Octavius was attending to his 
studies in Apollonia, Greece. He was about eighteen 
years of age. When the news of the assassination of his 
uncle reached Apollonia, the military officials urged him 
to avenge the death of Caesar, pledging him their assist- 
ance. Octavius moved cautiously, not knowing the 
strength of those against whom he must contend in order 
to accomplish his design. He therefore privately hastened 
toward the city of Rome, He did not learn the full par- 
ticulars concerning the murder of his uncle, until he ar- 
rived at Brundusium ; and there he was first informed that 
Caesar had declared him his son and heir. 

On learning this fact, he immediately took the name of 
Caesar, and, dropping that of Caius, he called himself Oc- 
tavius Caesar, and proceeded to Rome to assert his legal 
claim to the government, as the judicially appointed suc- 
cessor of its fallen head. 

The new Caesar sought an interview with Antony, the 
executor of his uncle's will, whereby this title of Caesar 
had been conferred upon him ; but Antony, being desirous 
of maintaining his assumed position at the head of the 
government, repelled Octavius, not even consenting to 
honor him with the title of Caesar. 

The ambitious 3'oung man and appointed heir was indig- 
nant at the treatment he received from Antony, and he at 
once took measures to overcome his rival opposer. An- 
tony had influenced the senate to adopt many of his mea- 
sures, and, being in charge of the governmental affairs, 
was prepared to do much in opposition to the young Cae- 
sar. He even refused to allow him possession of the 
property which his uncle had willed to him ; thus crippling 



204 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Octavius' 
course. 



Cicero's 

assistance. 



Antony in 
Gaul. 



Octavius 
sent. 



Antony 
flees. 



His 

position in 
Gaul. 

Octavius 
in danger. 



Proposes 
peace. 



"War 
against 
Cassius 
and Brutus 
Its result. 



Brutus. 



His last 
battle. 
Its result. 



Suicide. 



him in every way possible, that he might not succeed in 
becoming the ruler of Rome. But Octavius, seeing his 
object, sold his patrimonial estate, to raise the means 
required to pay Caesar's legacy to the people ; and then 
made an effort to gain the co-operation of the senate. 

Cicero considered him less dangerous than Antony, and 
assisted him to accomplish his design. 

Antony was in Gaul, in command of an army, when the 
senate sent him certain orders, which he disregarded. 
That body then sent Octavius with an army, to compel 
him to submit. An engagement followed, which resulted 
in favor of Octavius. Antony fled to the camp of an 
unprincipled commander in Western Gaul, whose name 
was Lepidus. He being the friend of Julius Csesar, 
gained much sympathy among the soldiers, who were even 
ready to prefer him to their own commander, Lepidus. 

Octavius, though in command of the army of the senate, 
thought that his life was in danger. He had reasons for 
believing that when Antony should be removed, they 
would destroy him. He, therefore, instead of making 
any farther attempt upon Antony, sent private messengers 
to that rival , and Lepidus, proposing reconciliation. They 
gladly accepted the terms, and the three met upon an 
island in the Rhine, where they united their forces, to 
operate against Julius Caesar's enemies. They engaged in 
War with Cassius and Brutus, and a noted battle was 
fought at Philippi, in Macedonia. Brutus gained the ad- 
vantage over Octavius, but Antony routed the forces of 
Cassius ; who, being ignorant of the success of Brutus, fell 
upon his sword, and thus ended his life in a cowardly 
manner. Brutus gathered the troops of his fallen associate 
and delayed twenty days before risking another engage- 
ment ; at the end of which time he resolved to hazard all 
his interests in a single battle. He was defeated entirely. 
Realizing the sad results, in the loss of his army, he 
determined not to witness the slavery of his country, and, 
therefore, followed the example of Cassius, and committed 
suicide. By this means the Roman government was com- 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE, 



205 



Rome 

under the 
conquerors 

Antony in 
Asia. 
His work. 



Meets 
Cleopatra. 



Octavius' 

employ- 
ment. 

Condition 
of Italy. 



Virgil. 



pletely reduced under the power of Octavius, Antony and 
Lepidus. Octavius went back to Italy, where Lepidus 
had remained, — and Antony proceeded into Asia, to 
receive homage from the different kings, to collect reven- 
ues, and to regulate the affairs of the many provinces and 
the tributary nations. 

At Tarsus, he met for the first time, the corrupt and 
fascinating Cleopatra of Egypt, who, finally, proved his 
ruin. He accompanied her to Alexandria, where he 
forgot the public interests of the government, being 
blinded with infatuation for the Egyptian princess. 

During this time, Octavius was employed in influencing 
the nation to recognize him as their head. 

But Italy was in a wretched condition. One Sextus 
Pompey troubled the sea with his fleets, preventing the 
importation of corn. Land was appropriated to the 
soldiers, and a large number of women and children were 
thus made homeless, and reduced to a state of starvation. 
The people, therefore, flocked in masses to Rome, to seek 
for relief at the hands of the aspiring successor of Julius 
Caesar. The poet, Virgil, was among the suppliants, and 
it is said that he was the only one who found favor. 



Antony 
returns. 



Peace 

arranged. 



Rome 
divided 
into four 
parts. 



Antony & 
Pompey. 
Lepidus & 
Octavius. 



Marc Antony, hearing of the trouble in Italy, returned 
to interest himself in the affairs of that home-government, 
in opposition to Octavius. The young Caesar met him, 
and immediately arranged for peace, by giving his pure 
and noble sister, Octavia, to the beguiled lover of 
Cleopatra, to be his wife ; and soon the territory of the 
Roman government was divided between four commanders. 
Octavius Oesar had the West ; Antony the East ; 
Lepidus the South, and Sextus Pompey the Islands of 
the Mediterranean Sea and Peloponnesus. 

Antony and Pompey were soon involved in trouble, 
which resulted in the destruction of Pompey. Lepidus, 
seizing this opportunity to take possession of Sicily, 
aggravated Octavius ; who caused the army of Lepidus 
to desert him, and then took him prisoner and banished 



206 



THE WORLD'S GREAT E3IPIRES. 



Octavius 

and 

Antony. 

Octavia. 



Romans 
indignant. 



Octavius 
glad. 

Antony's 
army. 



Octavias' 
army. 



The rivals 
and their 
forces. 

The battle 
located. 



The gulf. 



Antony's 

fleets. 

Cleopatra'; 



Octavius 
and his 
fleet. 



The land- 
armies. 

The 

conflict. 
B.C. 31. 



him. Octavius and Antony were then left to control the 
affairs of the government, and, through the judicious 
influence of Octavia, her husband and brother continued 
to live in peace for three years, after which Antony, being 
drawn by his passion for Cleopatra, went down into 
Egypt and bestowed upon that corrupt woman and her 
children several provinces, abusing and outraging the 
feelings of his loyal wife, Octavia. 

The Romans were indignant at his conduct, and stood 
ready to support Octavius in an effort to avenge the 
wrong done his sister by her infidel husband. 

Octavius, glad of an occasion to declare war against his 
rival, prepared to engage in the final contest. Antony 
succeeded in assembling an army of one hundred thousand 
infantry, twelve thousand cavalry, smdifive hundred ships 
of tear. 

Octavius had under his command an army of eighty 
thousand infantry, twelve thousand cavalry, and two hun- 
dred and fifty ships of war. But the war vessels of 
Octavius were better manned than those of Antony. 
With these forces the two rival Romans were prepared to 
contend for the victory, and to decide who should be 
established as the successor of Julius Csesar. The decisive 
battle was fought upon the beautiful sheet of water known 
anciently as the Ambracian Gulf, but now called the 
Gulf of Arta. This gulf is located west of Epirus. It 
is twenty-five miles in length, and ranges from three to ten 
miles in width. 

The fleets of Antony entered the bay, commanded by 
Marc himself. Cleopatra, in command of sixty Egyptian 
war vessels, came to assist him, whose moral ruin she had 
accomplished. Octavius, in command of his own fleet of 
two hundred and fifty ships, sailed into the gulf to contend 
for his right to the supremacy in the government. The 
two opposing land-armies were left on the opposite banks, 
to witness the struggle, without being able to participate 
in the fight. They engaged in the conflict on 2d of Sept., 
31 B.C. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



207 



j. s. c. 

Abbott. 



A descrip- 
tive quo- 
tation. 



John S. C. Abbott, in his History of Italy, page 282, 
gives a vivid description of this remarkable contest 
between Antony and Octavius ; which we quote because of 
its graphic representation of the scene. 

He says: " The morning of the second of September, 
31 B.C., dawned clear and cloudless upon the bay, which 
was covered and surrounded with all the pomp and 
pageantry of war. The banners of the opposing legions, 
and the gleam of polished helmet and cuirass, sword and 
javelin, glittered in the sun's rays, while twenty-four 
thousand horsemen rode to and fro, impatient to partici- 
pate in a fight, which, however, they could only witness 
as a spectacle. Such a gladiatorial scene on such an 
arena, stands unrivalled in this world's history. In beauti- 
ful order and in a long line, the two fleets, driven by the 
arms of the rowers, approached each other. Each ship 
was in itself a fort, containing its garrison of fighting men ; 
and the business of the rowers was simply to lay them 
alongside of each other, that the trained soldiers, hand to 
hand, with sword, javelin and battle-axe, might decide the 
fray. It was Rome against Rome ; Antony against Octavius. 

For a long time the horrid butchery continued. The 
clangor of the battle, as steel met steel, and rang upon 
coats of mail ; the cries and shouts of onset and death ; 
the huzzas of the legions upon the shore ; the cloud of 
missiles which almost darkened the air ; the flash of fire- 
balls and the smoke and flame of the conflagration, all 
combined to present a scene which Trafalgar or Aboukir 
could hardly have surpassed. Cleopatra was struck with 
a sudden panic, as she saw several of the mammoth 
quinqueremes of Octavius pierce Antony's centre, hurling 
destruction on all sides. Fearing that her detachment, 
thus cut off, was doomed to destruction, she gave the 
signal for retreat. This created a general panic ; and, in 
a few moments, the whole fleet of Antony was in a state 
of utter rout, the oarsmen straining every nerve to escape 
as they could, pursued by the exultant galleys of Octavius, 
hurling destruction upon the fugitives." 



208 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



His army 
surrenders 

He goes to 
Egypt. 



Cleopa- 
tra's posi- 
tion. 



Her efforts 
to charm 
Octavius. 



Octavius 
and Cleo- 
patra. 



Antony's 
distress. 



Octavius 
advances 
upon 
Egypt. 

The result. 



Thus Antony was defeated, and hastily entered the ship 
of Cleopatra. He refused to speak to her for three days ; 
because of the sad results which had come to him on her 
account. But his love for the Egyptian queen soon over- 
came all his anger, and they were again friends. 

His abandoned army surrendered at last to Octavius ; 
and Antony accompanied Cleopatra to her dominions in 
Egypt, where they sought to place everything in readiness 
to defend that country against Octavius, if he should ad- 
vance upon them. 

Cleopatra, in her criminal association with Antony, had 
no genuine love for him, being only ambitious to demon- 
strate her power of fascination to conquer her victim ; and 
she stood ready to exercise that power over others also, 
as the opportunity might be presented. She therefore 
made an attempt to conquer Octavius with her charms ; 
and while she seemed to be working only in the interest 
of Antony, who was a slave to her pretended love, she 
endeavored to infatuate Octavius, by sending him secret 
messages in her own name, along with the propositions 
which were made with reference to the diplomacy between 
them, and signed by herself and Antony, and conveyed to 
the destined successor of Julius Caesar. 

By this means a secret corespondence was opened be- 
tween Octavius and Cleopatra, which he improved to his 
own advantage against Antony. Octavius cared nothing 
for her love ; but was ready to embrace the favored oppor- 
tunity to get rid of his rival. He therefore offered to be- 
stow honors upon Cleopatra, and to show her special favor, 
if she would kill Antony, or banish him from Egypt. 

Antony discovered this secret communication after a 
time ; but he had no power to retaliate against the injury 
he was receiving ; and the wretched man, filled with jeal- 
ousy and indignation, was almost insane. 

Octavius, meanwhile, advanced upon Egypt, and soon 
succeeded in taking possession of that country, and reduc- 
ing it to a Roman province ; and the vile, fascinating Cleo- 
patra was finally conquered by Octavius, who had used the 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



209 



He returns 
to Rome. 



Rome an 
empire. 



The title 
August. 



Csesar Au- 
gustus. 



August. 
July. 



Titled and 
honored. 



Extent of 
the empire. 



His guard. 

Temple of 
Janus. 
Improve- 
ments in 
Rome. 



weapons ; with which she attempted to ensnare him against 
her ; and her fascinating charms at last proved her own 
ruin ; and Antony, Egypt, and its artful queen, all fell 
under the power of Octavius Caesar, who now stood 
where nothing could prevent him from being recognized as 
the successor of his uncle, Julius Caesar. 

As soon as he had triumphed over his foes, he returned 
to Rome, the master of the situation, at the head of the 
world. All nations had been conquered ; and Octavius 
Caesar had reached the height of his ambition, and tri- 
umphed in his work. 

Rome had now become a mighty empire, holding sway 
over all nations ; and Octavius Caesar, the successor of 
Ms crown-seeking uncle, had the crown placed upon his 
brow, and stood at the head of the Fourth Universal 
Empire of the World, as its first emperor. 

The senate conferred upon him the title, The August, 
in the year 26 B.C., when he was thirty-six years of age ; 
and from that time, his name, Octavius, was dropped, and 
he was called Caesar the August, — or, Caesar Augustus, 
— and he is, therefore, the noted Caesar Augustus, of 
whom so much is said in sacred and secular history. 

Because of this title, — The August, — the eighth month 
of the year has been called August. The seventh month 
of the year being called July, in honor of Julius Caesar, 
his uncle. 

Thus titled and honored, at the age of thirty-six years 
C^sar Augustus was placed upon the throne of the 
Roman Empire. 

The territory of this great empire extended over three 
thousand miles in length, and over two thousand miles in 
width, covering the principal part of Europe, Asia and 
Africa. Not a nation was in a position to occasion 
trouble to the Emperor of Rome. Ten thousand men 
constituted his guard : the revenues were immense, peace 
prevailed, the temple of Janus the god of war was 
closed, and Cassar Augustus had time to devote to making 
improvements in the city of Rome, then the Capital of 



210 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



The result. 



Local 
rulers. 



Titles. 



Ruler in 

Judea. 

Herod. 



Taxes to 
be levied. 



Decree. 



The people 
obey. 

The Jews. 



the World. This city had been improved and very 
much enlarged since its foundation, but now, as it stood, 
the Metropolis of this Mighty Empire of the World, it 
must be embellished, and made to fittingly honor the posi- 
tion it now occupied as the imperial city. 

The personal attention of Csesar Augustus was given to 
this enterprise, and Rome was beautified and improved, 
until Caesar boasted that he "found Rome a city of brick, 
but should leave it a city of marble." 

He could not attend personally to all the local affairs of 
this vast empire, and, therefore, local rulers were ap- 
pointed to attend to those interests in the different provin- 
ces, subject to his dictation who sat upon the imperial 
throne at Rome. These rulers were titled according to 
their position. 

The local ruler in Judea, a country of special interest 
to the servants of God, was Herod. He had been placed 
in that position by Pompey ; and when Csesar Augustus 
came to stand at the head of the Roman Empire he recog- 
nized Herod, and ratified his appointment, making him his 
own representative in that province. 

Csesar finally found it necessary to levy taxes upon his 
subjects for the support of the government, and issued a 
decree to that effect ; and so we read, in Luke 2:1, that 
' ' There went out a decree from Csesar Augustus that all 
the world should be taxed," — or "should be" enrolled for 
taxation. 

By this " decree" we are able to better appreciate the 
authority of Csesar Augustus, and the fact that he was a 
universal ruler; because, if this had not been true of him, 
he could not have levied taxes upon " all the world." 

In accordance with this decree, the people went to the 
different cities for the purpose of enrolling their names 
upon the tax-list. The Jews, being vassals to Csesar, 
were obliged to attend to this matter, with others, going 
to the nearest cities to enroll their names. 

As the important work in the interests of the Roman 
government was being attended to, a remarkably interest- 



THE BOM AN EMPIRE. 



211 



Interesting 
event in 
Bethlehem 

Babe born 
in a stable. 



Joseph and 
Mary. 



Cheered by 
shepherds' 
approach. 



The babe 
adored. 



Wonderful 
scene. 



ing event occurred in the city of Bethlehem, in Judea, 
about five miles south of Jerusalem. A babe was born in 
a stable, and laid to rest in a manger, tenderly clasped in 
the arms of his mother, who, because of the overcrowded 
city, could find no better place to repose with her first- 
born son. Joseph, a devout Jew, with his wife, Mary, — 
herself a Jewess of the royal line of David's house, — were 
obliged to care for the new-born babe . under these pecu- 
liarly humiliating circumstances ; but soon their hearts 
were cheered by the approach of some shepherds, who 
had come from the plains where they were engaged in 
watching their flocks, and had pressed forward as though 
directed by some unseen power. They came to the lowly 
manger, to bow in adoration before that lovely babe. 
What could it mean ? Why came they thus ? Who di- 
rected them to the spot? What mean they by these 
adorations and praises bestowed upon a lowly babe ? A 
wonderful scene had occurred, while they were quietly 
engaged with their flocks upon Bethlehem's plains, but a 
short time before. For, " lo ! the angel of the Lord 
came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round 
about them ; and they were sore afraid. And the angel 
said unto them, ' Fear not ; for, behold ! I bring you good 
tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people ; for unto 
you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, 
which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto 
you : ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, 
lying in a manger.' And suddenly there was with the 
angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and 
saying, ' Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace 
and good will to men.' " 

When this wonderful scene was over, and the angelic 
host had retired to their celestial abode, the shepherds re- 
solved to follow the direction given them by the announc- 
ing angel, and to go in search of the thus-heralded babe ; 
and when they found him in the manger, as the angel had 
said, they recognized the "sign," and worshipped the 
signified babe. 



212 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



"Wise men 
from the 
East. 



Herod 

troubled. 

Demands 

where 

Christ 

should be 

born. 

Prophecy. 



Privately 
consults 
the wise 
men. 
Sends 
them away 



They 
depart. 
Guided by 
the star to 
the place. 



House. 



They see 
the child. 



Present 
gifts. 

Do not 
return to 
Herod. 



His anger. 

Cruel 

slaughter 
of children 



Jesus safe. 



Some time after this event, some wise men came "from 
the East to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born 
king of the Jews ? for we have seen his star in the east, 
and have come to worship him." 

The declaration of the wise men troubled Herod, and he 
called the chief priests and scribes together, and "de- 
manded of them where The Christ should be born." "And 
they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea : for thus it is 
written by the prophet, 'And thou Bethlehem in the land 
of Judea, art not the least among the princes of Juda ; for 
out of thee shall come a governor that shall rule my people 
Israel.' " 

Then Herod privately interviewed the wise men, and 
"enquired of them" "what time the star appeared," and 
then he "sent them to Bethlehem." He said, — "Go, and 
search diligently for the young child ; and when you have 
found him, bring me word again, that I may come and 
worship him also." 

Those wise seekers after the King of the Jews departed, 
and the star which had guided them from the East went 
before them still, " till it came and stood over the place 
where the young child lay ;" not over the stable where he 
was born, but over the " house" where Joseph and Mary 
dwelt with their babe ; and when they entered the house, 
"they saw the young child, with Mary his mother, and 
fell down and worshipped him, . . . and presented unto 
him gifts ; gold and frankincense, and myrrh." 

But they did not return to Herod. God had warned 
them in a dream not to comply with his request ; and they 
were "wise" enough to heed God instead of Herod ; and that 
wicked ruler, when he saw that they had done contrary 
to his direction, was exceeding angry, and caused "all the 
children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts 
thereof, from two years old and under, according to the 
time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men," 
to be slain. But Mary's son, Jesus, was safely protected ; 
and in the land of Egypt, where Joseph and Mary had 
gone by the direction of God, the legal heir to David's 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



213 



Herod's 
efforts a 
failure. 

Shepherds 
and wise 
men. 



Magi. 
Question. 



Jews in 

the east. 



Edict of 
Cyrus. 



Wise men 
have 
means of 
knowing. 



Time 
measured. 



throne lived, while thousands of others died; and so 
Herod's effort to kill him failed. 

Some have supposed that the shepherds and the wise 
men were the same persons, only being designated by 
these different terms ; but that opinion is not reasonable. 
The shepherds were "watching their flocks" on the plains 
of Bethlehem, when they heard the announcement of the 
angel, and they went directly to the city, where they 
found the babe in the manger, as the angel had said they 
should ; while the "wise men came from the East" to the 
City of Jerusalem, being directed by the star; and then 
went to Bethlehem in search of the child, and found him 
in a "house," instead of the "manger." This must have 
been some time after the shepherds found him in the 
manger, — nearly two years. 

We are aware that there were wise men in Media and 
Persia in the East who were called the Magi. That same 
word Magi is the one rendered "wise men" in Matt. 2 : 1. 

But why should they, in the far East, have known any- 
thing about "the King of the Jews?" 

We answer : God's people, the Jews, had been in those 
eastern countries. They had been captives in Babylon ; 
and when the Medes and Persians took that city and 
established the Medo-Persian Empire, the Jews came 
under their power ; and two years from that time Cyrus 
issued his edict, allowing them to go back and build up 
the city of Jerusalem and the temple, and that edict was 
recorded and kept in the palace at Ecbatana, in Media ; 
for, as we have noticed, when Darius the son of Hystaspes 
was called upon to assist the Jews, he caused the records 
to be searched, and the decree of Cyrus to "restore and 
build Jerusalem " was found ; which he renewed and 
gave his own sanction to it. 

Therefore, the wise men of the East had means of know- 
ing that the Jews expected a king. Their last king fell 
when Zedekiah was dethroned ; but another one was 
promised, who had a right to that throne. And beside 
this, God measured the time from the edict of Cyrus to 



214 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Weeks of 
years. 

483 years. 



Wise men 
know the 
time. 



Prepared 
for the 



Edict 
passed in 
488 B.C. 



Messiah at 
the time 
appointed. 

Sign 
expected. 

2 symbols. 



Balaam. 

Balak. 

Pilgrims. 



Numerous 
tents. 

Mouth- 
piece for 
God. 

Ordered 
home. 



the birth of the promised Messiah, saying, that " from the 
going forth of the commandment ;" — the edict of Cyrus — 
*'to restore and build Jerusalem, unto the Messiah the 
Prince, shall be seven weeks, and three-score and two 
weeks" — weeks of years, or seven sevens, — and three-score 
and two sevens — sixty-nine sevens — of years, which is four 
hundred and eighty-three years. 

As the "commandment," or edict, of Cyrus was re- 
corded in Ecbatana, the " wise men " had means of know- 
ing when it was time for the Messiah to be born, and, 
doubtless, they understood it ; and understanding that the 
four hundred and eighty-three years had been accom- 
plished, they were prepared to receive the signal of his 
birth. 

That edict was passed by Cyrus in the first year of his 
reign as the sole monarch of the Medo-Persian Empire, 
which was 488 B.C., or just four hundred and eighty-three 
years before the actual birth of Christ. 

Therefore, " when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Ju- 
dea," this prophetic line of measurement had reached its ul- 
timatum, and to Messiah the Prince at the time appointed. 

The time ' ' to the Messiah " having been thus definitely 
given, the " wise men" were in a position to be expecting 
the sign which should herald his birth. 

Two symbols had been given, by which the promised 
Messiah and his work were significantly represented, both 
as Saviour and King. 

These symbols were designated by Balaam, the sooth- 
sayer, when, at the request of Balak, the Moabitish king, 
he went out to curse the Canaan-bound pilgrims, because 
their guide, the fire-cloud pillar, had refused to move on- 
ward beyond the land of Moab, before giving the signal to 
encamp, and the numerous tents of the children of Israel 
had to be pitched upon the soil of that realm, much to the 
annoyance of its objecting king. Balaam, because God 
used him to announce blessings instead of cursings con- 
cerning that people, was ordered by Balak to go home. 
But he was moved upon by the Spirit of God to speak 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



215 



Moved to 
speak 
further. 
Advertises 



The 

Advertise- 
ment. 



Star and 
Scepter. 



Jesus the 
hope of the 
world. 

Symbol- 
ized by the 
star. 

Star of 
hope. 

Literal 

star 

appears. 

He the 

morning 

star. 



Star- 
emblem. 

Identifies 
Jesus. 
Proohecy 
fulfilled. 



"His 

Star." 



further, and he said to the king of Moab : " I will adver- 
tise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the 
latter days; " and among the things advertised, we find 
these two symbols referred to, which are described in the 
folio wing lammao-e • " There shall come a star out of 
Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel." (Num- 
bers 24 : 17. 

In this prophetic advertisement, the Star and the Scep- 
tre are used as symbols. 

The Star is an emblem of hope, and signified to Balak 
that the much despised Israelites had before them a bright 
prospect ; a Star of hope was to come, to light up their 
pathway. 

The Sceptre is an emblem of kingly power, and indi- 
cated to the proud king of Moab that the people whom 
he sought to curse were, finally, to have a King whose 
dominion should be far superior to that of Balak ; and it 
was said that he should " smite the corners of Moab, and 
destroy all the children of Sheth." 

Jesus Christ came at his first advent as the hope of 
the world, and was, therefore, symbolized in this prophetic 
representation by the ' ' Star " that should ' ' come out of 
Jacob;" and, therefore, when the star of hope arose, and 
Jesus, the Saviour of mankind, was born, God caused a 
literal star to appear in the East, to herald his birth, and 
to indicate his work ; for he was ' ' The bright and morning 
Star," which had come to give the light of hope to a lost 
world ; and that sign did not disappear until it had guided 
the wise men to the place where the One it represented 
was to be found, and the star-emblem of hope "stood" 
still, in its glory, " over the place where the young child 
lay ; " and thus identified Jesus as the One who had been 
promised so long before. 

And so God's prophetic word was fulfilled. The " wise 
men" must have been familiar with this prophecy, or they 
would not have known when the star appeared, that it 
was " His Star." But they did know ; and by following 
His Star they found Him. 



216 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Caesar 
Augustus. 
Dies 
A.D. 14. 

Aged 76 
years. 

Poisoned. 

Livia. 

Tiberius. 



J. S. C. 

Abbott's 

statements 



Character 
of Tiberius 



Exalted to 
the throne, 
A.D. 14. 
A.D. 12. 

Tiberius 

Caesar. 

Second 

emperor. 

Not 

honored. 

His 

standing. 

15th of his 

reign. 



John the 
Baptist. 



Csesar Augustus continued to reign until A.D. 14, when 
he died, in the seventy-sixth year of his age. 

He died from the effects of slow poison, which was 
doubtless administered by his wife, Livia, that Tiberius, 
her son by her former husband, — who, through her cun- 
ning craftiness had been adopted by Caesar Augustus, and 
associated with him in his reign for about two years, — 
mip-ht become sole ruler of the Soman Empire. 

J. S. C. Abbott says, with reference to this act of 
Livia in poisoning her husband, that " It is characteristic 
of the awful corruption of those times, that nO one seems 
to have been shocked at the supposition that Livia poisoned 
her husband. . . . Poisonings and assassinations were so 
common that such atrocities seem hardly to have been re- 
garded as a breach of respectable morality, if there were 
any. motive, in the line of expediency, for the deed." (The 
History of Italy, page 302.) 

Tiberius was a vile young man, full of guile and hypoc- 
risy ; but, through the wicked shrewdness of his mother 
and his own deceitful manceuvrings, he was exalted to the 
imperial throne on the death of Caesar Augustus, in A.D. 
14, having been an associate ruler from A.D. 12. 

Tiberius Caesar became, therefore, the second emperor 
in this Soman Empire. He was not honored, however, 
by the citizens; but was termed " a hypocritical, sensual 
and cruel tyrant ;" and has been remembered as the man 
who "filled the streets of Some with blood." 

In the fifteenth year of his reign, dating from the time 
when he became associated with Caesar Augustus, another 
interesting event occurred in the land of Judea. John 
the Baptist, a strange man, of peculiar dress and suste- 
nance, appeared upon the banks of the Jordan, surrounded 
by multitudes, and began to bury them individually be- 
neath its waters ; and, as they were lifted up out of the 
the water, they stood confessing their sins. While thus 
engaged in baptizing the people who heeded his instruc- 
tion, he saw One approaching with a humble and yet digni- 
fied air ; and as the eyes of the Baptist rested upon that 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



217 



Lamb of 
God. 



Jesus. 
30 years 
old. 



Jesus is 
Baptized. 



His 
anointing. 



In the Wil- 
derness. 



Claims the 
throne of 
David. 

Rejected. 



He is 
executed, 
A.D. 30. 
Cruci- 
fixion. 

Two modes 
of punish- 
ment. 
Reasons 
why. 



One, he exclaimed, as though suddenly moved by the 
poAver of inspiration, "Behold the Lamb or God, that 

TAKETH AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD." 

It was Jesus who thus came. He was then about 
thirty years of age, and had come to enter upon his great 
mission. He approached John, and offered himself as a 
candidate for baptism. The Baptist shrank from bury- 
ing that noble Form beneath the waves of Jordan ; but he 
meekly submitted, and baptized Jesus, burying him in the 
waters of Jordan, as he had buried others ; but, unlike the 
rest, Jesus made no confession of sins, but "went up 
straightway out of the water," and received the holy anoint- 
ing, which gave to him the title "The Christ," which 
means, " The Anointed One" : the Holy Spirit descend- 
ed in the form of a dove and rested upon him, and God 
thereby recognized him as His Son, and his mighty voice 
proclaimed the fact to the people. 

Jesus, The Christ, then went forth to his work. 
First, to the wilderness, to be tempted of the Devil ; where 
he succeeded in triumphing over that chief rebel against 
the government of God. 

Afterwards, as the "Anointed One" and legal heir to 
David's throne, he rode into Jerusalem, and claimed the 
imperial seat of David. But the Jews rejected his claim ; 
and finally succeeded in getting him condemned to be 
crucified for treason against the Roman government ; for 
they said, " Whosoever maketh himself king speaketh 
against C^sar ;" and they declared themselves loyal to the 
Roman Emperor. 

He was executed in the year A. D., 30, while Tiberius 
was still upon the throne of the Roman Empire. 

Jesus was put to death by crucifixion. 

The Romans had two modes of capital punishment, one 
by beheading , the other by crucifixion. 

When a Roman citizen was condemned to be executed 
for crime, he was sentenced to be beheaded; for they 
thought that the ignominious death of the cross was too 
degrading for one who was free-born, even if he were 



218 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Adage. 

Jesus a 
Jew. 



Therefore 
crucified. 



In the 
tomb of 
Joseph. 



Roman 
seal. 



Guard. 



1st day of 
the week. 

Shining 
one. 



Rolls back 
the stone. 

Soldiers 
pale. 



Resurrec- 
tion of 
Christ. 



proved worthy of death, but if a slave or foreigner was 
condemned to die he must be crucified ; to show that, 
even as a criminal, he was inferior to a Roman malefactor. 
Therefore, the Romans had the following adage : ' ' The 
cross for the slave." 

Jesus Christ was a Jew, and the Jews were foreigners ; 
so, when he was sentenced to die, there was no alterna- 
tive but that he must be crucified ; and hence he was 
nailed to the cross, and expired in agony on Calvary. 

He was taken down from the cross and laid in the new 
tomb of the rich Joseph of Arimathcea; and the much 
hated "King of the Jews" was thus removed from the 
sight of his opposers, and slept the sleep of death. Great 
care was taken to secure him within that tomb. The 
Roman seal was placed upon the stone, at the door of the 
sepulchre, which no man could break without forfeiting 
his life. Soldiers were stationed on guard around the 
tomb, and the Jews rejoiced in their victory over the One 
whom they claimed was an impostor. Jesus quietly slept 
on, under the power of death, until the morning of " the 
first day of the week," three days after his crucifixion. 
But, as that first-day morning dawned, behold a shining 
one from the realms of glory descended, and swiftly 
approached the guarded tomb. He seized the stone on 
which the seal of the Roman government had been set, 
and rolled it back, in the dignity of his angelic power, and 
calmly sat down upon it, as though expecting something 
of vast importance to transpire. The soldiers paled before 
this august personage, like dead men ; but that angel was 
fearless. He had broken the Roman seal ; but he was in 
no haste to flee, but waited to witness the breaking of a 
stronger power than that Roman seal represented. Then 
Jesus, having been three days and three nights under the 
tyrannical power of death, calmly awoke. Wrenching the 
keys from " him who had the power of death," he ad- 
justed everything properly within the tomb ; and then, in 
the majesty of a conqueror, he stepped forth from the pri- 
son-house of death, never more to come under the power 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



219 



40 days. 

Seen of 
more than 
500. 



His com- 
mission 
to his 
disciples. 



His 

ascension. 



10 days 
afterward. 

Qualified 
to preach. 

Persecuted 
by the 
Jews. 
Scattered. 



Principles. 



Pagan 
religion. 



of that cruel tyrant ; and in the majesty of his divine 
power he appeared to his disciples and others, as the vic- 
tor over death and the grave, forever. 

He who had been slain was alive again ; and the fact of 
his literal resurrection was thoroughly demonstrated and 
established. 

He remained among his followers forty days; during 
which time more than five hundred persons of a reliable 
character saw him, and testified to the fact that it was the 
same One who had been crucified. 

Then, just before he went from them, he gave them 
their commission and authority — the highest men can have 
for their work — as ambassadors. If not at first committed 
to parchment, this commission was authentic, as it 
accredited the disciples. He said : " Go ye, into all 
world and preach the gospel to every creature, baptizing 
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 
of the Holy Ghost ; teaching them to observe all things 
whatsoever I have commanded you ; and, lo, I am with 
you always, even to the end of the world." 

And then, when he had been with them forty days, he 
left his disciples and went up into heaven. They saw him 
go, and watched him till "a cloud received him out of 
their sight." 

Ten days from that time, they being all together at 
Jerusalem, the Spirit was poured out in mighty power 
upon them, and they were qualified to go forth and preach 
the gospel of the kingdom of the Resurrected King. 

They were persecuted by the Jews in Jerusalem, and 
being "scattered abroad "on account of it, they "went 
everywhere preaching the word;" and, as " ambassadors 
for Christ," they persuaded many to become loyal to that 
royal Heir of David's throne, with the prospect of being 
gathered into His kingdom at last. 

The principles of His kingdom were very much supe- 
rior to those of the Roman Empire. 

The religion of the Romans was pagan or heathen ; but 
the followers of Christ taught a different religion. And yet 



220 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Churches 
established 



Saul of 
Tarsus. 



Tiberius,to 
A.D. 36. 

Aged 78 

years. 

Reigns 22 

years. 

Calagula 

5 years. 

Killed 

A.D. 41. 

Claudius 

reigns 

13 years. 

Nero, 
from 
A.D. 54 
to A.D. 67. 
His cruel 
reign. 



Christians 

persecuted 

He finds 

occasion 

against 

them. 

Rome set 
on fire. 



Fire rages 
9 days and 
nights. 

Suspicion 
rests upon 
Nero. 



they were permitted to progress with their work undis- 
turbed by the government, until churches were established 
in many places, and even in the city of Rome itself. Saul 
of Tarsus, having been converted and placed among the 
apostles, had been carried to Home a prisoner, because of 
the efforts of the Jews against him, where he preached the 
gospel of Christ for "three years in his own hired house." 

Tiberius continued to reign in Rome until A.D. 36, 
when he died, being at last smothered with a pillow. He 
was seventy-eight years old, and had reigned twenty-two 
years from the death of Csesar Augustus. 

Calagula was then exalted to the imperial throne. He 
reigned five years, and was put to death in A.D. 41. 

Claudius Cesar succeeded to the head of the Roman 
Empire in A. D. 41, and reigned thirteen years. He also 
died a violent death. 

Nero — "The base and cruel Nero," — next mounted 
the throne. He commenced his reign in A.D. 54, and 
continued thirteen years, until A.D. 67. Under his reign 
the city presented a scene of blood, and funerals darkened 
the streets. It was during his tyrannical rule that the 
Christians were first persecuted by Pagan Rome. He 
found occasion against them in the following unjust and 
diabolical manner : At that time Rome contained four 
QiiUlions of inhabitants, who dwelt in very close, narrow 
streets. Nero ordered his private servants to set fire to 
the city, that he might eagerly feast his corrupt eyes upon 
the devouring flames, and greedily enjoy the fearful con- 
flagration. As the flames kindled upon the homes of the 
citizens of his own capital, and the sufferers became frantic 
with fear as they attempted to save their lives and prop- 
erty, he, in his baseness, was engaged in his private apart- 
ments in playing and singing ' < The Destruction of 
Troy." 

The fire raged for nine days and nights, and thousands 
perished because of his fiendish work. Two-thirds of the 
city was destroyed ; and then when suspicion began to rest 
upon him, and the excited multitude began to clamor for 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



221 



Christians 
accused. 



1st perse- 
cution. 



Paul. 



Jews and 
Syrians. 
Appeal to 
Nero. 

Syrians 
favored. 
Jews in 
arms. 

12th of 
Nero, 
A.D. 66. 



Vespasian. 
Titus. 



60,000 
soldiers. 



vengeance, he sought to cover his own guilt by declaring 
that the Christians set the fire ; and not only was this ter- 
rible crime laid to their charge, but every other false 
accusation that could possibly be devised was brought 
against them, until prejudice was excited against the 
humble followers of Christ to such an extent that they 
were ordered to be put to death. During this first perse- 
cution^ Paul, Peter, James the brother of John, and 
James the Lord's brother, were all put to death, with 
many others of the faithful. Paul had been liberated 
from his imprisonment in Rome, and had been engaged for 
some time in visiting the churches in the different local- 
ities. He was with the church in the Island of Crete 
when this persecution broke out in Rome ; and, as soon as 
he heard of the trouble which had befallen his brethren in 
that imperial city, he hastened to Rome to cheer and con- 
sole them in the midst of their sufferings ; and he there 
lost his life with the others. 

While Nero was on the throne at Rome, a quarrel arose 
between the Jews and Syrians concerning the city of 
C^esarea, both parties claiming it. An appeal was made 
to Nero for decision in the matter, and he decided in favor 
of the Syrians. This enraged the Jews, and they took 
up arms against their rivals, and began that fatal war 
which resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem. This war 
commenced in the twelfth year of Nero's reign, inA.D. 66. 
Gessius Florus was then governor of Judea, and he 
allowed this trouble to continue, without giving any 
attention to it, until it was beyond his control ; and finally 
matters became so serious, that Nero found it necessary to 
send troops into Judea to suppress the rebels ; and he sent 
Vespasian, a distinguished commander, with a powerful 
army, to quell the rebellion. Titus, the son of Vespasian, 
accompanied his father on this expedition ; and they, 
together, at the head of sixty thousand soldiers, attempted 
to reduce the Jews and bring them into submission. 

They entered Galilee, burnt Gadara, and then marched 
to Jotapata, where they came in contact with Josephus, 



222 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Work of 
desolation 
com- 
menced. 
Josephus. 

Conquests 
continued. 



News of 

Nero's 

death. 



Destroys 
his own 
life. 

Galba. 



Congratu- 
lated. 



Galba 
slain. 
Reign of 
3 months. 



Otho. 
He is 
destroyed. 

Yitellius. 

His reign 
and death. 



the Jewish Historian, who succeeded in defending the 
city for forty-seven days ; but at last he was overcome 
and taken prisoner, with many of his associates, while a 
larger number were killed. The Romans continued their 
conquests until all the cities of Judea, except Jerusalem, 
the grand capital, were reduced and brought under their 
power. While engaged in this enterprise, Vespasian 
received news that Nero was dead ; for that cruel and base 
tyrant, who had rejoiced in the torture of his subjects, 
had been persecuted himself by his enemies, until he had 
been driven to the act of self-murder, in order to escape 
having his head fastened in the pillory — which was a 
frame through which the head and hands of a criminal 
were thrust for punishment. Into this, Nero was to have 
been put, and whipped to death ; when he destroyed him- 
self to escape it. 

Galba was next exalted to the throne on the death of 
Nero, and Vespasian despatched his son Titus to Rome to 
congratulate the new emperor, and to receive instruction 
concerning this war in Judea. 

Titus was delayed in his passage, and before he reached 
the imperial city Galba had been slain. He only reigned 
about three months, when, in a disgraceful manner, he was 
beheaded, and his head rolled upon the floor, to be tossed 
about by his enemies ; until one of his slaves dug a hole 
and buried the ghastly thing, and put the spectacle out of 
their sight. 

Otho next succeeded to the throne ; but destroyed his 
own life after a few months' reign, leaving the empire to 
his rival, Vitellius. 

Vitellius came upon the throne to devote his time to 
indulgence in eating and drinking, to the neglect of the 
interests of his government. Because of his effeminate 
voluptuousness, he was at last dragged through the streets 
for hours, with his hands fastened behind him, and a rope 
about his neck, and he expired from blows struck with 
clubs ; and then his dead body was drawn over the pave- 
ments until it became a mangled mass ; and, finally, it was 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



223 



18 months, 
Galba, 
Otho and 
Vitcllius. 

Vespasian. 



Declared 
emperor. 
Titns in 
Judea. 



He is to 
end the 
war. 
His course 



Josephus 
sent to 
them. 

His tearful 
pleading. 
The Jews' 
stubborn- 
ness. 
A few de- 
sire peace. 
The major- 
ity more 
enraged. 
Fearful 
slaughter. 
Jews de- 
stroy Jews. 



600,000 
dead car- 
ried out 
the gates. 

Houses 
rilled with 
the dead. 

Famine. 

Human 
flesh eaten. 



thrown into the Tiber, and the throne of Eome was again 
without an occupant. 

In the short space of eighteen months, these three 
emperors, Galba, Otho and Yitellius, had filled the 
throne and gone down to death. 

Vespasian, who had craftily manoeuvred against Yitel- 
lius, himself aspiring to the throne, was immediately 
declared emperor of Rome by the senate. He left the 
affairs in Judea in charge of his son Titus, and returned 
to Rome. He took his position upon the throne in the 
first part of the year, A.D. 70, and continued to reign 
until A.D. 79. 

Titus being left in Judea to finish the work of conquer- 
ing the Jews, found it necessary, at last, to lay siege to 
their city, Jerusalem. He hestitated to do so, for some 
time, and endeavored to persuade that people to submit 
to him, without forcing him to do violence to their sacred 
city. He sent Josephus to them to urge them to yield ; 
and that Jew went to his countrymen, and with tears run- 
ning down his cheeks he pleaded with them to desist from 
their course. But they would not heed his entreaties. A 
few were ready to listen, and became anxious to cease the 
fighting ; but the majority became more enraged, and 
cruelly destroyed those who had expressed a desire to 
submit. The slaughter was fearful. Jews destroyed 
Jews, until thousands fell, and famine soon came upon 
them with its terrible ravages. Pestilence added its aw- 
ful assistance to the destruction of life, until, as we are 
informed, Titus was told that they had carried out at the 
different gates for burial, ii six hundred thousand persons ; 
and, then, that being unable to carry them all out, they 
had filled whole houses with the dead, and shut them up." 
What an awful condition of things was this ; whole houses 
filled with dead bodies and shut up ! 

Famine at length prevailed to such an extent that they 
were driven to the disgusting extremity of eating human 
flesh to satisfy their hunger, and mothers even fed upon 
the flesh of their babes ! 



224 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



A heart- 
rending 
scene 
described. 

Miriam. 



"What 
Titus said. 
Deter- 
mined to 
destroy 
the city. 



How Jeru- 
salem was 
fortified. 
Three 
walls. 
Old wall. 
60 towers. 
14 towers. 
80 towers. 



One heart-rending scene is described by the historian, 
which, though it is of a character to cause feelings of dis- 
gust, cannot well be omitted. "A lady, whose name 
was Miriam, had taken refuge, with many others, in this 
devoted city, from the breaking out of the war. As the 
famine increased, her house was repeatedly plundered of 
such provisions as she had been able to procure. She had 
vainly endeavored by her entreaties to prevail upon them, 
or by her execrations to provoke them, to put an end to 
her miserable existence ; but the mercy was too great to 
be granted her. Frantic, at length, with fury and de- 
spair, she snatched her infant from her bosom, cut its 
throat, and broiled it ; and, having satiated her present 
hunger, concealed the rest. The smell of it soon drew the 
voracious human tigers to her house. They threatened 
her with the most excruciating tortures, if she did not dis- 
cover to them her provisions. Upon which she set before 
them the relics of her mangled infant, bidding them eat 
heartily and not be squeamish ; since she, its once tender 
mother, had made no scruple to butcher, dress and feed 
upon it. At the sight of this horrid dish, inhuman as 
they were, they stood aghast, petrified with horror, and 
departed, leaving the astonished mother in possession of 
her dismal fare." {Jones' History of the Church, p. 110.) 

When the news of this awful deed reached Titus, he 
resolved to destroy the city ; saying: "I am determined 
to bury that cursed metropolis under its ruins, that the 
sun may never more dart his beams on a city where the 
mothers feed on the flesh of their children ; and the fathers, 
no less guilty than themselves, choose to drive them to 
such extremities, rather than lay down their arms." {Jos. 
Wars, B. 6; ch. 3.) 

Jerusalem was a strongly fortified city. It was four 
miles in compass, and surrounded by three strong walls. 
"The first, or old wall," was considered impregnable, 
because of its immense thickness, and also because it was 
fortified by sixty strong towers; and beside these, the 
second wall had fourteen towers; and the third had eighty 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



225 



The siege. 



July 17, 
A.D. 70. 
Daily 
sacrifice 
ceased. 
Utter de- 
struction. 



Monument 



"Whole 

country 

desolate. 

Jewish 

nation. 

Despised. 



Sad the 
calamity. 
Justly 
meted out. 

Had been 
instructed. 



God gave 

them 

instruction 



of these strong and lofty pillars, to strengthen the 
defences of that city against the foe. 

At last, the storm-siege burst in all its fury upon the 
doom-awaiting city. The excitement was great, and in- 
creased constantly. The soldiers became wild, and rushed 
forward like mad-men to their work of destruction. They 
battered down the walls ; they scaled the ramparts ; they 
threw firebrands into the buildings, and slew the Jews, 
men, women and children ; delighting in the slaughter. 
They burned the temple, although Titus endeavored to save 
it. The altars were broken down and destroyed ; and on the 
seventeenth of July, A.D. 70, the daily sacrifice ceased 
forever, as there was no longer a proper person to offer it. 

And thus Jerusalem, with its noble structures, its strong 
fortifications, beautiful palaces, lofty towers and massive 
walls, was brought level with the ground ; except a frag- 
ment of the western wall, and three towers, which Titus 
reserved as a monument of what had been the strength of 
that city, and the might and skill of its conqueror. The 
desolation produced was so great that nothing but this 
monument remained to indicate that the ground had ever 
been occupied by a city. 

The war of desolation continued until the whole coun- 
try became barren and desolate, and it ended in the down- 
fall of the Jewish nation ; and from that time the remnant 
of that once favored nation have been scattered through- 
out the world. They have been despised and persecuted, 
suffering miseries, and being hated by all classes. Not 
until quite recently have they been granted any favors by 
the great nations of the world. 

How sad the calamity ! How terrible the results ! But 
these things were justly meted out to them ; the once 
favored people of God. 

They had been instructed concerning the matter, and 
might have escaped the awful catastrophy if they had given 
heed to the instruction ; for when God gave them the law 
by which they were to be governed, and the principles 
upon which their "kingdom was to be established, away 



226 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Days of 

Moses, 

1500 years 

before. 

Blessings 

for 

obedience. 



Cursings 
for disobe- 
dience. 

In 

prophecy. 



Vivid rep- 
resentation 



The 

prophecy 
in Deut. 28 
Immediate 
attention. 



Notice 
most 
striking 
features. 

Fulfilled 
upon 
the Jews. 



Verses 49 
and 50. 



Literally 
fulfilled. 



Verse 52. 



back in the days of Moses, more than fifteen hundred years 
before this destruction of their city. He promised them 
abundant blessings, on condition that they should obey his 
precepts, and do all his righteous will which he should 
make known to them. But if they failed to hearken unto 
his voice, and to obey his directions, they were to be 
cursed, and their enemies should put "a yoke of iron" upon 
their neck, until they were destroyed ; and in the pro- 
phetic description which we have of the calamities which 
should come upon that nation on account of their disobe- 
dience, we have a vivid representation of this fearful 
siege, which thus resulted in the destruction of their city, 
and the downfall of their nation. The prophecy referred 
to is found in the twenty -eighth chapter of Deuteronomy. 
This being a little aside of the direct line of prophecy 
relating to Roman history, we call immediate attention to 
it, while the scenes represented are vividly in mind. 

The whole chapter (Deut. 28) should be carefully read; 
but we can only notice the most striking declarations which 
are portrayed in it ; and which have been fulfilled upon that 
people who departed from God, and refused to do his will ; 
and, even rejected his son, Jesus Christ, and caused him 
to be crucified. 

In the forty-ninth and fiftieth verses of that chapter, we 
read : ' ' The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from 
afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle 
flieth ; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand ; 
a nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the 
person of the old, nor show favor to the young." 

This prophecy was literally fulfilled when the Romans 
came from their "far "-off country, against the Jews, in 
the swiftness of their onward march to destroy them ; 
and speaking in the Latin " tongue," which the Jews did 
not " understand" (as they used the Hebrew and Greek 
languages) ; and they fiercely ravaged the cities of the 
Jews, regarding neither " old nor young" in their efforts 
to destroy. 

In the fifty-second verse, and onward, we read again : 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



227 



Verse 53. 



Verse 56. 



Verse 57. 



Verse 60. 
Verse 61. 

Verse 62. 

Verse 64. 
Verse 65. 



No words 
needed to 
apply the 
prophecy. 



" And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high 
and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, 
throughout all thy land ; and he shall besiege thee in all 
thy gates, throughout all thy land, which the Lord thy 
God hath given thee. And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine 
own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, 
which the Lord thy God hath given thee, in the siege and 
in the straitness wherewith thine enemies shall distress 
thee. . . . The tender and delicate woman among you, 
which would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon 
the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall 
be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her 
son, and toward her daughter, and toward her young 
one that cometh out from between her feet, and toward 
her children which she bear ; for she shall eat them, for 
want of all things, secretly, in the siege and straitness 
wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates. . . . 
Moreover, he will bring upon thee all the diseases of 
Egypt, which thou wast afraid of, and they shall cleave 
unto thee. Also, every sickness, and every plague which 
is not written in the book of this law, them will the Lord 
bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed. And ye shall be 
left few in mumber, whereas ye were as the stars of 
heaven for multitude ; because thou wouldest not obey 
the voice of the Lord thy God. . . . 

"And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people from 
the one end of the earth, even unto the other ; and there 
thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy 
fathers have known, even wood and stone ; and among the 
nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of 
thy foot have rest ; but the Lord shall give thee there a 
trembling heart, and failing eyes, and sorrow of mind." 

No words are needed to apply this wonderful, prophetic 
representation. As we read it, with the facts of history 
in mind concerning the destruction of Jerusalem, we are 
deeply and solemnly impressed with the fact that none but 
God could have given such a vivid and stirring description 
of these dreadful scenes, fifteen hundred years before they 



228 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Jesus fore- 
tells the 
destruc- 
tion. 
Where 
recorded. 



The decla- 
ration. 



Accom- 
plished. 



transpired. Jesus, the rejected king of the Jews, also 
foretold the destruction of their city, as recorded in the 
■ twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew ; in the thirteenth of 
Mark ; and in the twenty-first of Luke. 

His disciples had called his attention to the temple, and 
to the remarkable stones of which it was built ; and He 
said in reply : "The hour is coming, when there shall not 
be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown 
down." 

This prophetic declaration was accomplished when the 
temple of Jerusalem was brought level with the ground, 
so that there was " not left one stone upon another" that 
was " not thrown down." 



Roman 
empire 
again. 

Vespasian 
reigns to 
A.D. 79. 
His death. 



Titus, 
emperor. 
A.D. 79. 

Mt. 
Vesuvius. 

Pestilence. 



Domitian. 
A.D. 81. 



His 

character. 
Christians 
persecuted. 
John. 

Banished. 



"We now turn our attention again to the Roman Empire 
and its rulers. 

Vespasian continued his reign until A.D. 79, and then 
died a natural death. He was the first one of the Roman 
emperors who was thus privileged. The government was 
then left to his son Titus. 

Titus succeeded to the throne in A.D 79, and reigned 
only two years. During that period the eruption of 
Mount Vesuvius occurred, when Pompeii and the Her- 
culanium were buried. A terrible pestilence prevailed in 
Rome during his reign, which, in its most destructive 
period, destroyed ten thousand persons in a day. Titus 
did much to relieve the sufferings of the people thus 
afflicted ; and so manifested a kindness not common among 
Roman rulers. He died in A.D. 81. 

Domitian, the brother of Titus, then succeeded to the 
head of the empire, in A.D. 81, and reigned fifteen years. 
He has been called "cruel, frivolous and vain." In the 
last part of his reign, the Christians were again persecuted 
in a heartless manner ; during which time John, the 
beloved disciple of Christ, who had been laboring among 
the seven churches in Asia Minor, was banished to the 
Isle of Patmos, just off the coast of that country. This 
was done because of his faithfulness in preaching the 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



229 



The result. 
Book of 
Revelation 
Jesus 
Christ re- 
membered 
him. 
Sent his 
angel. 
Record. 



Wonderful 
things seen 
in A.D.95. 



Nerva. 
A.D. 96. 



Trajan. 
A.D. 98. 



Persecu- 
tion. 
Reigns 
19 years. 
Adrian. 
A.D. 117. 
Reigns 
21 years. 
Anto- 
ninus I. 
A.D. 138. 



gospel of Christ ; and we have reason to thank God that 
John was ever thus banished to that island ; for, as the 
result of that banishment, we have the Book of Revela- 
tion, the last book of the Bible. Jesus Christ, whom he 
served so faithfully, remembered him, when in that lone 
exile ; and, having received a revelation from God the 
Father, "he sent and signified it by his angel unto his 
servant John ; " " who " then ' ' Bare record of the word of 
God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all 
things that he saw." The Book of Revelation is that 
record. The wonderful things which are described therein 
John saw in the year A. D. 95, when on that Isle of 
Patmos, under the reign of Domitian, the eleventh Roman 
emperor. "We have upon the second chart of symbols 
John represented as his attention is first called by 
the "voice behind" him; and, also, of many things 
which he saw and described. We shall consider them 
more fully hereafter. We have simply referred to this 
interesting affair in order to locate the time when John saw 
these things, the description of which makes up the 
Book of Revelation. It was, as we have stated, in A.D. 
95, and occurred thus under the reign of Domitian, the 
eleventh emperor of Rome. Domitian was assassinated in 
A.D. 96. 

Nerva, the twelfth Roman emperor, came upon the 
throne on the death of Domitian, in A.D. 96. His reign 
was short, but marked by kindness. The people lived in 
happiness while he ruled. 

Trajan succeeded Nerva in the throne, in A.D. 98. He 
was well skilled in the art of government, and has been 
esteemed one of the best rulers in the Roman Empire ; 
but the Christians were persecuted, to some extent, during 
his reign. He reigned nineteen years, and died. 

Adrian mounted the throne as successor to Trajan in 
A.D. 117, and reigned twenty-one years. 

Antoninus I. was exalted to the throne in A.D. 138, on - 
the death of Adrian, and he was succeeded by Anto- 
ninus II. 



230 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Antoni 
nus II., to 
A.D. 180. 



Rome 
prospered. 
4th perse- 
cution. 



Poly carp. 

Justin 
Martyr. 
Commo- 
dus, 
A.D. 192. 



Pertinax. 
Killed. 

Empire 
at auction. 

Didius 
Julianus. 

Sixty days 
reign. 

Beheaded. 



Septimus 
Sever us. 
Two 

opposers. 
Albinus 
and Niger. 

Severus 
established 
in the 
throne. 
A.D. 198. 



Severus 
died 
A.D. 211. 

Caracalla 
and Geta. 

Hostilities. 



Antoninus II. reigned until A.D. 180 ; so that about 
forty-two years were covered by the reign of the first and 
second Antoninus. 

Eome prospered during the reign of the second Anto- 
ninus ; but the Christians were slain by multitudes. It was 
under his reign that the fourth persecution of the Christians 
occurred, and during this persecution Polycarp was 
burned to ashes, and Justin Martyr was beheaded. 

Commodus succeeded Antoninus, and reigned nearly 
thirteen years, to A.'D. 192. From the reign of Commo- 
dus, the seventeenth emperor of Rome, properly dates the 
decline of that empire. He was succeeded by Pertinax. 

Pertinax mounted the throne, but reigned only a short 
time. Within one year he was killed, and the throne of 
the Roman Empire was set up at auction and sold to the 
highest bidder. 

Didius Julianus, a man of great wealth, bought it ; but 
he was not capable of filling the throne, and only reigned 
sixty-six days, when his head was cut off and sent on a 
pike, as a token of peace, to Septimus Severus ; who, 
with a mighty army, was advancing to take possession of 
the throne. 

Septimus Severus soon succeeded in ascending the 
throne, although there were two others, — General Albi- 
nus, from Britain, and General Niger, from Syria, — 
who both aspired to the imperial seat. 

Severus, notwithstanding their efforts, became thor- 
oughly established in the throne in A.D. 198. 

During his reign the Christians were again cruelly per- 
secuted. 

He finally died in Britain in A.D. 211. He had been 
called there by an insurrection, and never returned home. 

He however appointed his two sons — Caracalla and 
Geta — as joint-successors to the throne. 

Caracalla and Geta 'were hostile to each other, and 
soon made a division in the empire ; and, finally, Carra- 
calla succeeded in destroying his brother's life. 

Under the pretence of friendship and of a desire for 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



231 



Geta assas- 
sinated. 



Caracalla 

sole 

emperor. 



Assassina- 
ted, 
A.D. 217. 



Macrinus. 
Reigned 14 
months. 



Heliogaba- 
lus, 

A.D. 218. 
Reigns 
4 years. 



Alexander 
Severus, 
A.D. 222. 



Maximus, 
A.D. 236. 



Origen. 



Philip, 
A.D. 244. 



Decius, 
A.D. 249. 



peace, he invited his brother to meet him in their mother's 
room. He had concealed some assassins, who suddenly 
rushed upon the unsuspecting Geta and stabbed him to 
death ; and he expired in the arms of his mother, who was 
endeavoring to protect him, her clothes being saturated 
with his blood ; and she herself was severely Avounded. 

Caracalla then became sole occupant of the throne, 
and ruler in the empire. He continued the reign, thus 
inaugurated in cruelty, for six years, repeating his deeds 
of blood, until A.D. 217, when he, who had so unmerci- 
fully destroyed his own brother, felt the steel of the assas- 
sin himself, and fell, leaving the throne to be filled by 
Macrinus, who had caused his destruction. 

Macrinus was placed upon the throne ; but he only 
reigned one year and two months, when he was destroyed, 
and the government was left to another. 

Heliogabalus succeeded to the head of the Roman Em- 
pire in A.D. 218, and reigned/cwr years. He was as base 
as Nero ; and it is said that ' ' the story of his atrocities 
cannot be told." 

Alexander Severus, his successor, took the throne in 
A.D. 222, and reigned thirteen years. He was a just and 
humane ruler ; but he was murdered March 19, A.D. 235. 

Maximus came to the throne as the successor of Seve- 
rus, in A.D. 236. He was said to be eight feet and six 
indies tall. During his reign, the Christians again felt the 
fearful fires of persecution. 

Origen, the father of the method of spiritual interpreta- 
tion of the Scriptures, lived during the reign of Maximus, 
and " interpreted into the Scriptures, instead of out of 
them," as Perthes, his biographer, says. 

Philip next came upon the imperial throne, succeeding 
Maximus in A.D. 244. He reigned five years, and was 
succeeded by Decius. 

Decius commenced to reign in A.D. 249, and reigned 
tivo years. As soon as he ascended to the throne, a storm 
of persecution burst in its fury over the Church of Christ, 
such as had never been equalled before. A writer says of 



232 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Persecu- 
tion de- 
scribed. 



Dr. 

Chandler's 
vivid de- 
scription. 
Methods 
of torture. 



Comment. 



End of 
Deems' 
reign, 
A.D. 251. 
Hostilia- 
nus sud- 
denly dies. 



thus persecution, that "The gates of Hell were once more 
opened, and merciless executioners were let loose upon 
the defenceless churches, and the earth was deluged with 
blood." It was true, that every possible means of cruelty 
that could be devised by a brutal, fiendish, human, (or 
inhuman) being, to torture and destroy the followers of 
Christ, was invented and resorted to ; and the Christians 
fell by thousands. Dr. Chandler, in his History of the 
Persecutions, gives the following stirring description of 
the outrageous barbarities which were practised upon the 
Christians during the reign of this Decius. 

Dr. Chandler says: "The Christians were publicly 
whipped, — were drawn by their heels through the streets 
of cities — were racked till every bone in their bodies was 
disjointed — their teeth were beaten out — their noses, hands 
and ears cut off — sharp pointed instruments were pierced 
under their nails — melted lead was thrown upon their 
naked bodies — their eyes were dug out — they were con- 
demned to the mines — were ground between stones — 
stoned to death — burned alive — thrown headlong from 
high buildings — beheaded — smothered to death in burn- 
ing limekilns — run through the body with sharp spears — 
destroyed with hunger, thirst and cold — thrown to wild 
beasts — roasted on gridirons with slow fires — cast by 
heaps into the sea — crucified — scraped to death with 
sharp shells — torn in pieces by bows of trees — and, in a 
word, destroyed by all the various methods that the most 
diabolical subtlety and malice could devise." {Cited in 
Jones' History of the Church, p. 151. See a footnote.) 

Something more than the cold formal profession of the 
Christianity of modern times, was necessary to the endur- 
ance of such tortures as the humble followers of Christ 
were then thus subjected to under the reign of Decius. 

Decius ceased to reign in A.D. 251, and was succeeded 
by his son Hostilianus. 

Hostilianus suddenly died, and was succeeded by 
Gallus, who was accused of destroying the life of the 
emperor. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



233 



Gallus. 
Short reign 

Emilianus 
4 months' 
reign. 

Valerian, 
A.D. 254. 



Gallienus. 

Thirty in- 
surgents. 



Appoints 
Claudius. 

Claudius, 
A.D. 270. 
Reigns 
2 years. 
Aurelian, 
A.D. 272. 

Assassina- 
ted. 

Interreg- 
num. 
Tacitus. 
7 months' 
reign. 
Florianus. 



Probus. 
Assassin- 
ated. 



Carus. 
Murdered. 



Diocletian, 
A.D. 284. 

21 years' 
reign. 

4 promi- 
nent men. 



Gallus reigned but a short time, and was succeeded by 
Emilianus. 

Emilianus reigned four months, and was followed by 
Valerian. 

Valerian came upon the throne in A.D. 254. He was 
taken prisoner by the Persians and died while a prisoner, 
leaving his son Gallienus in charge of the government. 

Gallienus was a base ruler, who was hated by all. 
During his reign, thirty insurgents arose, who attempted 
to crowd him from his throne. He, however, succeeded 
in defeating their plans, and afterwards appointed Clau- 
dius, as his successor. 

Claudius took the throne, in A.D. 270. He reigned 
two years, and died of the plague. 

Aurelian succeeded Claudius in A.D. 272. He was 
assassinated, and an interregnum of eight months ensued, 
which was followed by the reign of Tacitus. 

Tacitus took the throne, but lived to reign only seven 
months, when his brother, Florianus, succeeded him. 

Florianus was in great haste to mount the throne, but 
one Probus aspired to that position himself, and he made 
Florianus dismount in as great haste as he had mounted. 

Probus, having overpowered Florianus, took the 
throne ; but he was soon assassinated, being pierced with 
a hundred daggers. And so he ceased to reign as sud- 
denly as he had ended the reign of Florianus. 

Carus was raised to the throne, as the successor of 
Probus, but he did not reign long. He was murdered 
during a violent thunder-storm ; but the report was circu- 
lated that he was killed by lightning. 

Diocletian, after much difficulty and many reverses, 
came to the throne A.D. 284. He reigned twenty-one years. 

At that time there were four prominent men at the 
head of the government : Diocletian and Maximin 
Hercules, who bore the title Augustus, the highest title 
in Kome; and ConstantiUs Chlorus, and Maxaminus 
Galerius, who bore the title Qmsar, it being next in rank 
to that of Augustus. 



234 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Diocletian 
emperor. 



Persecu- 
tion. 



Regretted. 

He abdi- 
cates the 
throne. 



His home. 



Time when 
he vacated 
the throne, 
May 1, 
A.D. 305. 



Rural oc- 
cupation. 
Raising 



Surrounds 
himself 
with 
splendor. 



Builds a 
palace. 



He is 
haunted. 



Two 

Caesars. 



Diocletian was the principal one of the four, and was 
really the emperor. During his reign the Church was 
again tortured with the fires of persecution, and multi- 
tudes were put to death. But Diocletian at last sadly 
regretted his conduct against the Christians, and stayed 
the persecution. He finally abdicated the throne because 
of ill health, and announced his resignation of the crown, 
from a temporary throne, which had been erected for the 
purpose. Pale and emaciated he proclaimed his resigna- 
tion, then laid aside his royal robes, entered a closed car- 
riage, and retired in a dignified manner from his imperial 
position, to engage in tilling the land ; and thus he sought 
for enjoyment by occupying a more humble position. He 
made Sdlonia of Dalmacia, in his own native Grecia, his 
home, and passed his days, for a while, in quietness and 
contentment. He abdicated his throne on the first day of 
May A.D. 305. 

He was urged, after a time, by Maximian, one of his 
colleagues, to resume control of the government. At first 
he refused to do so, being unfavorable to the idea ; and re- 
plied thus to his friend: "Could you but see the fi ne 
cabbages in my garden which I have planted and raised 
with my own hands, you would not have me relinquish 
such happiness for the pursuit of power." 

But he felt the influence of the intimation that he might 
re-occupy the throne, and notwithstanding this speech he 
gave more attention to surrounding himself in his retreat 
with splendor than to raising cabbages, and thus aspired to 
the dignity of the purple, while profesionally he was only 
a gardener. He built a splendid palace of free-stone, 
which covered ten acres of land. This palace was beauti- 
fully ornamented and richly furnished ; but Diocletian was 
never really happy. The awful torture which he had in- 
flicted upon the humble and unoffending Christians haunted 
him continually, until his death, the event of which is 
shrouded in mystery. 

When he was dead, the two Csesars — Constantine and 
Galerius, — became invested with the imperial title of the 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



235 



Augusti . 



Constan- 
tius, and 
Galerius. 
1 year and 
3 months, 
Constan- 
tius dies. 
Constan- 
tine. 



Constan- 
tine the 
Great, 
A.D. 306. 



A.D. 315. 

Pagan till 
A.D. 313. 

Converted. 

Christian 
religion 
the relig- 
ion of the 
empire. 

Persecu- 
tion ended. 

Christians 
privileged. 



Comment 
on the 
Christians' 
condition 
of prosper- 
ity during 
the ten 
persecu- 
tions. 



Aiigusti, and the empire was divided between them, one 
ruling the eastern part of the empire, and the other the 
western. 

Constantius and Galerius, therefore, succeeded Dio- 
cletian in the control of the Empire. After a period of 
one year and three months Constantius died, and his son 
Constantine succeeded him. Galerius was not pleased 
with the arrangement whereby Constantine succeeded to 
the throne of his father, but had no power to prevent it. 

Constantine, who was soon surnamed the Great, suc- 
ceeded to the throne of his father, Constantius, in A.D. 
306. He aspired to the position of sole ruler in the 
Empire, and advanced, step by step, in opposition to the 
many who coveted the throne, until he triumphed, and 
swayed the sceptre of the whole Roman Empire ; which 
he had accomplished about A.D. 315. 

He continued to work as a Pagan ruler until A.D. 313, 
at which time he professed conversion to the Christian 
religion, and immediately established it as the honored 
religion of the Roman Empire. Persecutions ceased ; 
every storm-cloud was dispersed, and every means of 
torture was set aside. Unmolested in the midst of sun- 
shine and peace, the Christians were privileged to " wor- 
ship God according to the dictates of their own conscience," 
under the protection of a Christian Emperor. 

Notwithstanding the cruel persecutions which had oc- 
curred during the three centuries which had elapsed from 
the time of Christ — under the reign of nearly all the 
Roman Emperors — either with or without their sanction 
— and many of them had exercised all their ability and 
power to destroy, utterly, all the Christians from off the 
earth, until ten persecutions had been legally sanctioned 
by the head of the government — yet the influence of the 
gospel and the Christian religion had spread over the 
whole territory of the Roman Umpire, and as rapidly as 
its representatives were cut down there were others to 
take their places, until Constantine, in dispelling the gloomy 
clouds which hung over them, found a large number whose 



236 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



The posi- 
tion of the 
church. 



Opportuni- 
ty for 
work, and 
to convert 
the world. 



Points of 

doctrine 

discussed. 

Alexander 
and Arius. 



Alexan- 
der's posi- 
tion. 
Unity in 
Trinity. 

Arius' ex- 
ceptions. 
Father be- 
fore the 
Son. 

Alexandri- 
an church 
divided. 



Misrepre- 
sentations. 



Arius 
states 
Alexan- 
der's faith. 



hearts were warmly in sympathy with the religion he had 
just adopted. Churches had been established in different 
localities, and now, as all opposition to Christianity had 
been removed, the Christian ministry were in a position to 
continue the noble work of preaching the gospel, until it 
should triumph above every erroneous theory and evil 
influence, with the world rallying around its standard, and 
bowing before its Author. There never had been, and 
never will be another such a favorable opportunity for the 
"Conversion of the world "to Christianity, as was 
then presented. But, instead of devoting themselves to 
the one great object of carrying forward their grand and 
glorious work of preaching the gospel, and bringing peo- 
ple under its power, the ministers soon lost sight of their 
commission, and began to discuss points of doctrine, to 
the distraction and division of the body. 

There was a church in Alexandria, at the head of which 
there were two pastors — Alexander and Arius — who 
began to dispute about the nature of Christ. 

Alexander had declared that there was ' ' Unity in the 
Trinity," and that the Son was co-eternal, consubstantial, 
and of the same dignity with the Father." 

Arius took exception to these statements. He argued 
that, "If the Father begat the Son, there must have been 
a time when the Son was not." The discussion soon be- 
came heated, and of so serious a character that the Alex- 
andrian Church was divided. But it did not stop even 
there. Other .churches took up the question ; and, as the 
result of the quarrelling over the nature of Him who 
had died to save them, there was confusion and divi- 
sion in all the churches throughout the empire. Misrepre- 
sentations and false accusations were constantly repeated 
and retorted by both parties, each bitter against the other. 

Arius, in attempting to represent the sentiments of 
Alexander, stated them as follows: "God is always; 
the Son is always : the same time the Father ; the same 
time the Son : the Son co-exists with God unbegottenly, 
being ever begotten, being unbegottenly begotten. God 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



237 



Alexander 
states Ari- 
us' faith. 



Represent- 
ing and 
misrepre- 
senting. 

Con stan- 
tine a 
bishop. 

Quarrel re- 
ferred to 
him. 

Good ad- 
vice. 

Advice not 
heeded. 



Constan- 
tino calls a 
council at 
Aries. 

No settle- 
ment of 
difficulty. 

Council at 

) Nice. 

Council 
meets 
A.D. 325. 



Member- 
ship, 318 
bishops, 
1,730 pres- 
byters. 

Full mem- 
bership 
2 048. 
Constan- 
tine 

president 
Creed 
adopted. 



was not before the Son ; no, not in conception, or the least 
point of time, he being ever God, ever a Son, for the Son 
is out of God nimself." 

Alexander, on the other hand, represented Arius as 
teaching that ' ' There was a time when there was no Son 
of God, and that he who before was not, afterwards ex- 
isted, being made, — whensoever he was made, — just as 
any man whatsoever ; and that therefore he was of a mu- 
table nature, and equally receptive of vice and virtue." 
And thus the professed ministers of Christ sought to 
criminate each other in their faith ; and as they attempted 
to represent each other, they wws-represented. 

Const antine, having united with the church, assumed 
the title of Bishop, and claimed the right to regulate its 
affairs. To this Imperial Bishop the disputants appealed 
for favor. He advised them, wisely, to stop quarrelling, 
to pray over the matter, and thus to become reconciled. 
But the spirit of prayer did not animate them. It was 
too foreign to the spirit which then possessed them to be 
admitted to their hearts ; and so the trouble continued, 
until Constantine summoned a council to meet at Arles in 
France, where he used all his influence to bring about 
harmony among them ; but this was a vain attempt, and 
the excitement still increased, and their bitterness con- 
tinued. 

At last Constantine called a council of bishops and 
prominent officers of the church to assemble at Nice, in 
Bithynia, to adjust this trouble, by arranging a creed for 
the church, which should set forth the articles of faith, 
under the sanction of both the church and the government. 
This council met in A.D. 325, and was composed of thtee 
hundred and eighteen bishops, and one thousand seven 
hundred and thirty presbyters, deacons and others ; making 
in all two thousand and forty-eight member's. Constan- 
tine presided ; and after much discussion they decided to 
adopt the following creed : — 

"We believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of 
all things, visible and invisible ; and in one Lord Jesus 



238 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



The creed. 

"We be- 
lieve" one 
God. One 
Lord Jesus 
Christ. 
Christ's 
pre-exis- 
tence. 

Incarnate. 

Became 

man. 

Died. 

Arose the 

third day. 

Ascended. 

Comes 

again. 

The Holy 

Ghost. 

Catholic 

apostolic 

church. 

Arius an- 
athema- 
tized. 
Creed 
adopted. 
Called the 
Nicene 
creed. 

Creed sent 
to Rome 
for confir- 
mation. 

Sylvester. 

13th coun- 
cil, 275 
bishops, 
confirm 
the creed. 

The man- 
ner of con- 
firmation. 



Constan- 

tine's 

letters. 



Christ, the Son of God, the only begotten ; begotten of 
the Father, that is, of the substance of the Father, God of 
God ; Light of Light ; true God of true God ; begotten, 
not made, consubstantial with the Father, by whom all 
things were made, things in heaven and things on earth ; 
who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and 
was incarnate, and became man, suffered and rose again 
the third day, and ascended into heaven, and comes to 
judge the quick and dead ; and in the Holy Ghost. 
And the catholic and apostolic church doth anathematize 
those persons who say that there was a time when the Son 
of God was not ; that he was not before he was born ; that 
he was made of nothing, or of another substance or being; 
or that he is created, or changeable, or convertible." 
(Jones' History, p. 172, foot note.) 

This creed, because passed by that council assembled 
at Nice, has ever since been called The Nicene Creed. 
As soon as these articles of faith had been drawn up by 
the Nicene Council, they were sent to Rome for confirma- 
tion. And Sylvester, then bishop of Rome, in the thir- 
teenth council of Rome, in the presence of two hundred 
and seventy-five bishops, confirmed the Nicene Creed, in 
the folio wi no; manner : — 

' ' We confirm with our mouth that which has been de- 
creed at Nice, a city in Bithynia, by the three hundred 
and eighteen holy bishops, for the good of the catholic and 
apostolic church, mother of the faithful. We anathema- 
tize all those who shall dare to contradict the decrees of 
the great and holy council which was assembled at Nice, 
in the presence of that most pious and venerable prince, 
the Emperor Constantine. 

" To this, the two hundred and seventy-five bishops an- 
swered, ' We consent to it.' " (Maimbourg's Hist, of 
Arianism, Vol. 1, p. 48.) 

When the creed had thus been confirmed, Constantine 
wrote letters, which he sent to the different localities 
throughout his empire, denouncing Arius and his follow- 
ers, and requiring universal submission, and conformity to 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



239 



Founda- 
tion for 
persecu- 
tion. 

Its charac- 
ter. 



Another 
event. 

Removal 
of the seat 
of empire. 

Circum- 
stances at- 
tending it. 

Selects the 
site for his 
city. 

Byzantium 
on the 
Bosphorus 



Byzan- 
tium 
founded 
B.C. 667. 



The powers 
combined 
for the 
work. 

City boun- 
daries. 

14 miles. 
Walls, 
palaces etc. 



Constanti- 
nople. 



the established creed ; thus laying the foundation for a 
system of persecution altogether unlike that which he had 
abolished as he embraced the Christian religion. For, in- 
stead of heathen being arrayed against Christians, pro- 
fessed Christians were arrayed against others bearing the 
same name ; and, as the final result, a more terrible per- 
secution followed than that which existed under Pagan 
Rome. The history of this will be noticed hereafter. 

Another event of interest which occurred during the 
reign of Constantine the Great was the removal of 
the seat of empire from the west into the east. He be- 
came ambitious to immortalize his name by establishing a 
new capital in a more central locality, that should bear the 
name of Constantine forever. He therefore selected as 
the most desirable spot on which to erect the grand new 
capital of his mighty empire, the site then occupied by a 
little city called Byzantium, situated on the European side 
of the Bosphorus, that beautiful strait which connects 
the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmora. This city of 
Byzantium was founded by some Greeks, from Megara, in 
667 B.C., during the reign of Esar-haddon in Nineveh, 
eighty-seven years after the founding of Rome by Romulus. 
It had therefore been in existence nearly a thousand years 
when Constantine decided to make it the seat of his 
empire. 

The ambition, skill and energy of Constantine, sup- 
ported by the wealth of the Roman Empire, were brought 
into requisition to accomplish this great design. The 
boundaries of the little city were extended until it mea- 
sured fourteen miles in circumference. Massive walls 
were built ; an imperial palace, magnificent and grand, 
covering many acres of land, was erected, which was more 
conveniently arranged than the one at Rome ; and costly 
mansions were reared to be occupied by the many nobles, 
who, with their families, came from the principal cities of 
the empire, Rome not excepted, to dignify the new capi- 
tal by their august presence. 

This city was called Constantinople, which means the 



240 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Turkish 

name, 

Stamboul. 

Seat of em- 
pire re- 
moved. 
Reigns to 
A.D. 337. 
nearly 31 
years. 
64th year 
of his age. 
His death. 



His three 
sons. 

Divide the 
empire. 

Constan- 
tino. 

His por- 
tion. 

Constan- 

tius' 

portion. 

Constans' 
portion. 



Death of 
Constan- 
tine. 



Constans 
sole ruler 
in the west. 
Cons tan - 
tius in the 
east. 

A.D. 350, 
assassina- 
ted. 



Death 
avenged. 



City of Constantine ; and thus Ms city was established 
in his own name, and by that name it is known to-day, 
though the Turks have called it Stamboul. 

Constantine having accomplished his design, thus re- 
moved the seat of empire from the west, and reigned in 
this eastern city until A.D. 337, when he died, having 
reigned nearly thirty-one years. He had entered upon 
the sixty-fourth year of his age, when death claimed him 
as its victim. His death was not occasioned by violence ; 
but, undisturbed by fiendish assassins, he quietly breathed 
out his life, professing a personal interest in the Lord 
Jesus Christ. 

Constantine, Constantius and Constans, the three 
sons of Constantine the Great, succeeded him in the 
government, and divided the empire, each receiving his 
portion over which to rule. 

Constantine II., the eldest son, who was then twenty- 
one years old, had assigned to him the provinces of Bri- 
tain, Spain, and Gaul, now called France. 

Constantius, aged twenty years, received Constanti- 
nople, and ruled Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt. 

Constans received Illyricum, Italy, and Africa. He 
was then only seventeen years of age. In A.D. 340, a 
quarrel arose between Constantine II. and Constans, 
which involved them in war, and the bloody strife ended 
in the death of Constantine. Constans then took posses- 
sion of the territory which had been occupied by his fallen 
brother, and added it to his former dominions. By fliis 
means Constans became the sole ruler in the west while 
his brother Constantius reigned as monarch in the east. 
Constans continued his reign until A.D. 350, when he 
was assassinated by Magnentius, one of his officers, who 
aspired to the crown. 

Constantius advanced upon Magnentius, the assassin, to 
avenge the death of Constans, when that usurper, who had 
seized the western throne, was defeated, and terminated 
his existence by suicide, and left his usurped dominion to 
the brother of his assassinated monarch. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



241 



Constans 
universal 
monarch, 
A.D. 353. 

Dies in 
A.D. 361. 
Julian. 



Saluted 
with title 
Augustus. 



Proceeds 
to Con- 
stantinople 

Reestab- 
lishes pa- 
ganism. 



Denounces 
Christ. 



Attempt to 
rebuild the 
temple. 



Prevented. 
Report. 



Confirmed. 
Gibbon. 

Chrysos- 
tom. 

Gregory. 



By this means Constantius became the universal monarch 
of the Roman Empire in A.D. 353. He continued his 
reign to A.D. 3G1, when he died while on his way to 
engage in an expedition against Julian, his cousin, and 
nephew of Constantine the Great, who was called "The 
Apostate," and was in command of the forces in Gaul. 
Constantius was excited against this young commander 
because, in an hour of victory, his soldiers had saluted 
him with the title Augustus, which title Constantius 
claimed for himself. 

Julian gladly welcomed the news of Constantius' death, 
and immediately proceeded to Constantinople, where he 
was established upon the throne of the Roman Empire, 
in A.D. 361. He then commenced to re-establish the 
heathen worship of pagan Rome ; Christian churches were 
robbed, and their members removed from all positions of 
trust in the government, and the vacancies filled by pagans. 
Christian institutions of every character were destroyed, 
and the worship of idols was again made popular. 

Jesus Cheist was denounced as a False Prophet, 
and in defiance of his declarations, Julian, the Apostate, 
attempted to rebuild the temple at Jerusalem, thereby 
to sustain his accusation against that mighty Prophet who 
foretold its doom. But Julian failed. He could not rebuild 
that temple, with the ivords of Christ out against it. 

He was prevented by some means. Reliable testimony 
has been produced to substantiate the report that the men 
whom he employed to do that defiant work were driven 
away, being terribly frightened, by strange and awful 
sights. "Terrible balls of fire," were said to have broken 
"out near the foundations, with frequent and reiterated 
attacks, rendering the place inaccessible to the scorched 
workmen ;" and thus they were driven away, and aban- 
doned the work. Gibbon admits this representation to 
be "unexceptionable testimony." It is sustained by 
Chrysostom, who was at that time bishop of Antioch ; by 
Gregory Nazianzen, who published the account of the 
wonderful phenomenon during that same year ; and by 



242 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Ambrose. 



Reasons 
for 

Julian's 
course. 



Dies in 
A.D. 363. 
Reigns 1 
year & 8 
months. 



Jovian. 

Proclaim- 
ed emperor 
A.D. 363, 
abolishes 
paganism. 

Away in 
the east. 



Dead in 
his bed. 



300 miles 
from home 



His wife. 



He reigns 
only 1 year 
to A.D. 
364. 
Throne 
vacant 
10 days. 
Valentini- 
an and 
Valens. 



Harmony. 
West. 
East. 
A.D. 375. 

Gratian. 



Bishop Ambrose of Milan, in a letter to the Emperor 
Theodosius. 

Julian, doubtless, had been driven into this apostacy by 
the corruptions which had crept into the nominal Christian 
church after the establishment of Christianity by Con- 
Stantine the great. Becoming disgusted with the con- 
duct of the priests and bishops, who had lost sight of the 
true principles of the gospel, he went back to Paganism. 

This apostate ruler was soon involved in trouble with 
the Persians, and died at last from being pierced with a 
javelin, in A.D. 363, having reigned only one year and 
eight months. It is reported that he tore the weapon from 
the fatal wound and exclaimed : "O Galilean, thou hast 

CONQUERED ! " 

Jovian, one of the principal commanding officers, was 
proclaimed emperor by the troops, and thus succeeded 
Julian in the empire, in A.D. 363. Jovian abolished Pa- 
ganism ; but never succeeded in reaching Constantinople. 
He was far away in the East, involved in war with the 
Persians, when he was invested Avith the imperial power. 
He finally started for the grand capital of his empire ; but 
was found dead in his bed in the small town of Dadastan, 
where he had found it necessary to tarry for the night. 
This was about three hundred miles from the city of Con- 
stantinople. His death was a terrible blow to his devoted 
wife. She met the- procession which was bearing his dead 
corpse homeward, with demonstrations of grief. 

He reigned only one year, continuing the line of empe- 
rors to A.D. 364. 

The throne was left without an occupant for ten days, 
and then was filled by Valentinian, a distinguished officer 
in the army, who voluntarily associated his brother Valens 
with himself in the government, thirty days after his own 
elevation to the throne. 

Valentinian and Valens lived in harmony ; Valen- 
tinian reigning in the West and Valens in the East, until 
A.D. 375, at which time Valentinian died, suddenly, from 
the rupture of a blood-vessel. His son, Gratian, sue- 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



243 



Valens 
perishes in 
A.D. 378. 
Goths. 

Gratian, 
the 

emperor. 
Theodo- 
sius asso- 
ciated. 
Gratian 
dissipated. 
Put to 
death in 
A.D. 383. 
Yalentini- 
anll. 

A.D. 392. 



Theodosius 
sways the 
sceptre of 
the whole 
empire last 



Reign be- 
gan in 
A.D. 392, 
closed 
A.D. 395. 

Permanent 

division, 

Eastern, & 
Western. 
Arcadius. 
Honorius. 



Two divis- 
ions, to the 
present. 



coeded to the Western throne, and reigned parallel with 
his uncle Valens until A. D. 378, when Valens perished 
on the field of battle, while operating against the Goths. 

Gratian was then left in possession of the whole 
empire ; but he soon appointed Theodosius, a prominent 
Christian general, as the successor to the throne of his 
uncle, Valens. Gratian became dissipated, and was at 
last abandoned by his troops, and was put to death near 
Lyons, in France, in A.D. 383. 

His son, Valentinian II, only a boy, succeeded Gratian 
in his Western division of the empire, and continued until 
A.D. 392, when he was overpowered, and Theodosius, the 
ruler in the East, became the universal ruler of the 
empire. 

Theodosius came to stand at the head of this Fourth 
Great Empire, as the last monarch who should reign 
over that empire as a unit. We are told, that under his 
reign ' ' Rome was united for the last time under the sway 
of one sceptre." He commenced his universal reign in 
A.D. 392, and continued it to A.D. 395, during which 
year he constituted the permanent division of the Roman 
Empire, into Eastern and Western Rome ; dividing it 
between his two sons, Arcadius and Honorius ; and on 
the death of Theodosius in A.D. 395, Arcadius took 
his seat in the East, to reign over the Eastern division of 
the Empire, and Honorius took his seat in the West, to 
reign over the Western division. 

From that date, down to the present, Roman history is 
traced in these two grand divisions. 



Close of 
historic 
data. 



This brings us to the close of the historic data which 
we have assigned to this fourth lecture. The remaining 
history of this Great Empire, which has continued in 
some form to the present time, is to be the subject of our 
next lecture. 



Close the ~\\Te now refer to the prophetic declarations and repre- 

with sentations which have pictured beforehand the remarkable 

prophecy. 

features of this government. 



244 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



1st line of 
sj'mbols. 
This em- 
pire repre- 
sented. 



Repetition 
of symbols 



Roman the 
4th empire. 



One strong 
empire. 

The peculi- 
arities 
hereafter. 



2nd line. 

Dan. 7. 

4th beast 
peculiar. 



Enquiries. 



Dan. 7: 19 

22 

quoted. 



In that first line of symbols which God introduced to 
Nebuchadnezzar, the great king of Babylon, this Fourth 
Great Empire is represented. For Daniel, in interpret- 
ing the dream of that First Universal Monarch, in 
which he had seen the "metallic image," not only said to 
Nebuchadnezzar, at the head of that first Great 
Empire : "Thou art this head of gold, and after thee shall 
come another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third 
kingdom of brass that shall bear rule over all the earth ;" 
but he said further, "And the fourth kingdom shall be 
strong as iron ; forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and 
subdueth all things ; and as iron that breaketh all these, 
shall it break in pieces and bruise." 

History has informed us, that the Roman Empire was 

the FOURTH GREAT and UNIVERSAL EMPIRE OF THE 

world ; and as this fact is established, we see that the 
iron part of that image, which Nebuchadnezzar saw, 
represented this empire in symbol, first, as- one strong 
and mighty empire, undivided and unbroken. This sym- 
bol has some peculiarities, aside from its strength and power, 
which will be noticed when we have advanced farther with 
the history of the Empire. 

In the second line of symbols, which is described in 
the seventh chapter of Daniel, we notice the fourth 
beast is very peculiar ; so much so, that Daniel, who had 
raised no question concerning the three which preceded 
it, when he had been informed that " These great beasts, 
which are four, are four kings [or kingdoms,] which shall 
arise," began immediately to inquire particularly concern- 
ing that most peculiar one of all ; and thus he said to the 
messenger who was there to inform him : "I would know 
the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from 
all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of 
iron, and his nails of brass ; which devoured, brake in 
pieces, and stamp the residue with his feet ; and of the 
ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which 
came up, and before whom three fell ; even of that horn 
that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, 



THE BOM AN EMPIRE. 



245 



Questions 
answered. 



Dan. 7: 23 



Where ap- 

Elied ; and 
ow. 

History 
and proph- 
ecy side 
by side. 

Applies it- 
self. 



whose look was more stout than his fellows." " I beheld, 
and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed 
against them, until the Ancient of days came and judgment 
was given to the saints of the most High ; and the time 
came that the saints possessed the kingdom." (Daniel 7 : 
19-22.) 

If the one of whom Daniel enquired so particularly, had 
been like some modern Biblical instructors, he would have 
said, — "These things are not for you to know, they are 
profound mysteries, which no mortal can understand ; 
you must not attempt to pry into the deep mysterious 
things of God : be content with the simple expressions 
which can be comprehended at a glance ; be good ; do the 
best you can, and let these things alone." 

But the angelic interpreter was not of such a character. 
The mysterious symbols had appeared, and they ought 
to be understood. He, therefore, answered the many 
questions of Daniel concerning the "dreadful and terrible 
beast," and the thing was made plain. 

* ' Thus he said : The fourth beast shall be the fourth 
kingdom upon earth ; which shall be diverse from all 
kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread 
it down, and break it in pieces." 

Where can this symbol apply ? What great kingdom is 
here represented ? Is it a difficult matter to decide ? Can 
we say that the application cannot be made ? No ! for, as 
we have traced the history, and now come to place this 
wonderful prophetic representation by its side, it ajjplies 
itself. As we have seen, history has informed us that the 
Fourth Great Empire of the World was the Koman ; 
and the interpreter said to Daniel : ' ' The fourth beast 
shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth;" therefore, 
this dreadful and terrible beast represents the 
Eoman Empire, in the dreadfulness and terribleness of its 
consolidated existence. 

We can make no further application of this symbol in 
its peculiar and special characteristics, until we have traced 
the remaining history of the empire which it represents. 



246 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



11th of 
Dan., 18th 
verse. 



A prince. 
18th verse 
analyzed. 



Reference 
to last 
lecture. 



New 
power. 

Developed. 



A prince. 
Who is 
he? 



Answered 

from 

history. 



We now call attention again to the eleventh chapter of 
Daniel, to notice, in the eighteenth verse, " a Prince" in- 
troduced into the midst of the circumstances, in which 
" The King of the North" and " The King of the South " 
are represented, as we have noticed in our last lecture. 

This " Prince, in his own behalf," — in his own " inter- 
ests, — caused the reproach offered by him " — by an oppos- 
ing person — "to cease, without his own reproach," — 
"without" being reproached himself, — and "he shall cause 
it " — the ' ' reproach " — to turn upon him — ' ' upon " the 
person who " offered" it. 

As we noticed in our last lecture, "The King of the 
North " and ' ' The King of the South " came in contact 
with the Romans, finally, as they were operating against 
each other ; and the Romans began to gain in strength and 
power, and gradually arose in position, until the Roman 
Empire was established in all its glory. 

In this eleventh chapter of Daniel, ',' The King of the 
North and the King of the South," as we noticed, are 
represented as the principal powers, until they come in 
contact with another power ; and we reasonably conclude 
that this neiv poioer, thus introduced, and coming in con- 
tact with these others, is the Roman, the one which is 
more fully developed in the eighteenth verse of this chapter, 
represented in the person of this "Prince," who, "in his 
own behalf," is operating against one who makes an effort to 
"reproach," or dishonor him. Beside, if this power is the 
Roman, it is represented thus just prior to its supremacy ; 
for, in the next verse, the Great Empire is introduced in 
its supremacy, as we shall notice. 

Now, we ask, who is this self-interested "Prince," 
described in the eighteenth verse ? Is he a Roman ? If 
so, what is his position, and who is he? 

We have only to refresh our minds with the history 
which we have just been passing over, to discover ivho he 
is, and to appreciate his surroundings, and to learn what 
his work is, as here represented. When the Romans had 
gradually increased in power until they had extended 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



247 



Rome. A 
republican 
govern- 
ment. 

The 

"prince," 

Julius 

Caesar. 



Opposed. 



Reproach 
offered. 



Not re- 
proached. 



Reproach 

turned 

hack. 



their conquests over the principal part of the territory 
which had been occupied by Alexander's successors, and 
had become, thereby, the chief power in the world, in B.C. 
60, then they boasted, as we saw, of a Republican govern- 
ment, and were opposed to a Monarchy. 

At that time "a Prince," Julius C^sar, was at the 
head of the Roman army, and he began to aspire to the 
crown ; and " in his own behalf" — working " in his own" 
interests, — he sought to erect this government into an 
Empire, and then — to wear the crown-imperial, himself. 

When this design became apparent he was opposed, and 
Pompey was his principal opposer ; who sought to humili- 
ate and dishonor Csesar, so as to prevent him from ac- 
complishing his cherished object. Pompey, therefore, 
prevailed upon the Senate to issue the decree commanding 
Caesar to disband his troops, at the head of which he was 
encamped, in the north of Italy. It was a "reproach" 
and dishonor to a Roman commander to be required thus 
to disband his troops, and to be ingloriously deprived of 
his generalship ; and they sought thus to reproach Julius 
CLesar, "the prince." But he, the "prince," Julius 
CLesar, was not to be thus reproached ; for he refused to 
obey the decree, and immediately advanced, in his dignity, 
at the head of his troops, upon those who had sought to 
dishonor him, and had thus insultingly "offered" "the 
reproach." Pompey fled before him, and Ca?sar pursued 
Pompey into Greece ; and there Csesar succeeded in turning 
the reproach " offered" to him "by" Pompey, back upon 
the one who "offered" it; and Pompey, bearing the 
reproach of being overcome, on the plains of Pharsalia, 
by the one whom he had sought to humble, saw fifteen 
thousand of his men fall on the field of battle, and tiventy- 
four thousand taken prisoners, by Csesar. And, therefore, 
that prince " triumphed, without his own reproach," as he, 
Csesar, lost only two hundred men in that decisive battle ; 
and thus the prophecy was fulfilled, and the " reproach," 
was turned upon the one who " offered" it. 

There could not be a more clear representation of the 



248 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Julii s Cse- 
sar proved 
to be the 
prince. 

19th verse. 



Applied to 
the history 



'Fort.' 



Object not 
readied. 



"Stum- 
bled," 



"and fell." 



Not to "be 
found." 



Successor, 
in verse 20 
Reasoning 



20th verse. 



Applied. 



career of Julius C^sar and his work, thus far, than is 
here given. He must, therefore, have been the "prince" 
who " in his own behalf" is represented in this prophecy. 

In the nineteenth verse this ' ' prince " is represented fur- 
ther, as follows : " Then he shall turn his face toward the 
fort of his own land ; but he shall stumble, and fall, and not 
be found." 

We have seen that Julius C^sar, after conquering 
Pompey, returned to Rome, the grand capital and strong 
" fort " of the Roman government, and there, having tri- 
umphed over his enemies, he stood at the head of the 
Romans ; but he was not a crowned ruler ; and, therefore, 
the great object for which he worked, " in his own behalf," 
was not accomplished ; and, so, he could not be satisfied 
until he should be established as a monarch, and be privi- 
leged to wear the royal diadem upon his brow. He con- 
tinued to labor for that object until, in his efforts, "he 
stumbled" and fell, on that fifteenth of March, 44 B.C., 
when he entered the Senate, where sixty of its members 
were united in a conspiracy to destroy him ; for they fell 
upon him with their swords, and he fell, pierced with 
twenty-three wounds ; and thus he " stumbled," and fell 
from his high position, instead of mounting higher, as he 
designed, and became prostrated in the senate chamber, 
and perished in his blood, never to " he found" established 
in the much coveted position. 

The successor of this ' ' prince " is described in the 
twentieth verse of this prophetic chapter, and if we have 
rightly applied the eighteenth and nineteenth verses, and 
Julius Cesar is the prophetic "Prince," then we shall 
have no difficulty in applying this next verse, descriptive of 
his successor, which reads thus, — 

"Then shall stand up in his estate a raiser of taxes, 
in the glory of the kingdom ; but within few days he 
shall be destroyed, neither in anger nor in battle." 

Did "one stand up in" the " estate" of Julius Cresar? 
Yes, he had a successor. Who was that successor? It 
was his nephew Gaius Octavius, whom he adopted into 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



249 



Ccesar 
Augustus. 



Stood up 
in his 
estate. 

Further 
identifica- 
tion. 

Raiser of 

taxes. 



Glory of 

the 

kingdom. 



Destroyed, 
not in * 
anger or 
battle. 



Remark- 
able. 



his family, and made the heir to his "estate," as we have 
seen from the history. Did this nephew succeed him, as 
Caius Octavius ? No : having been adopted into the Caesar 
family, he dropped his name Caius, and was called Octa- 
vius Cesar. Was he always known after that as Octavius 
Ca3sar? No; for he, having succeeded at last in erecting 
the Roman government into an empire, received from the 
Senate the title The August — then he dropped his name 
Octavius, and was called Caesar The August, or, Cesar 
Augustus. But was it Caesar Augustus who succeeded 
Julius Caesar ? Certainly. Then he is the one mentioned 
in this prophecy who should " stand up in his [Caesar's] 
estate." 

Have we any further means of identifying this successor ? 
He is represented as "a raiser of taxes." Was Caesar 
Augustus a ' ' raiser of taxes " ? Let us read the first verse 
of the second chapter of Luke, for an answer: "There 
went forth a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world 
should be taxed,'''' or, enrolled for taxation. He was em- 
phatically "a raiser of taxes ; " and is thus far identified 
by this prophecy. He is not only represented as "a 
raiser of taxes ; " but a " a raiser of taxes in the glory of 
the kingdom." Did Caesar Augustus stand " in the glory 
of the kingdom," when he issued that decree " that all the 
world should be taxed ? " We are aware of the fact that 
Caesar Augustus established the Roman Empire in its 
glory, and that the zenith of its glory was reached during 
his reign. The Augustian period of Roman history was 
its most glorious period. He therefore stood in " the glory 
of the kingdom. But was he "destroyed;" and that, 
" neither in anger nor in battle "? He died, not from the 
force of an angry blow, nor upon the field of battle. He 
died in quietness, upon the bed where he had languished for 
days. But poison was the cause of his death ; and that which 
his wife had prepared for the purpose, " destroyed" him. 

How remarkable is this prophetic representation, which 
thus minutely described these things, more than four hun- 
dred years before they transpired. 



250 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Cffisar We have fully identified Caesar Augustus — the one de- 

Augustus .1-1.1.7 "I -11 1 

fully iden- scribed m the twentieth verse ; and now we will quote the 
prophetic description of his successor, which is given in 

cessor in the twenty-first verse and onward. It reads : — 

2ist verse. "And in his estate shall stand up a vile person, to whom 

they shall not give the honor of the kingdom ; but he shall 
come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries." 
Who stood up in the estate of Caesar Augustus as his 
successor? Tibekius ! Was he a vile person? We have 
only to look over the record of history to realize the force 
of this language ; for we have noticed the fact that he was 
a "vile" young man and extremely corrupt. But, is it 
true that they did " not give him the honor of the king- 
dom" ? Yes. He was not honored by his subjects dur- 
ing his cruel reign. But how came he in possession of 
the kingdom? Just as this prophecy declared he should. 
He came "m peaceably," and obtained " the kingdom by 
flatteries.'''' Through the cunning craftiness of his mother, 
and by his own plausible and hypocritical manoeuverings, 
he peaceably obtained the kingdom, and thus identified 
himself with this prophecy. 

But we read further concerning him and his subjects, 
that — "With the arms of a flood they shall be overflown 
from before him, and shall be broken." Were the people 
thus overflown and broken before him ? They were over- 
whelmed by his tyranny, and broken by his power, until 
he could only be remembered as " The man who filled the 
streets of Rome with blood." "Yea, also, the prince of 
tJye covenant shall be broken," says the prophecy. 

Who is the ' ' Prince of the covenant " ? The Lord 
Jesus Christ is the Prince of the Covenant, which was 
ratified with his blood. 

Was he "broken" during the reign of this il vile person ," 
Tiberius ? Certainly ; for under the reign of that second 
Roman emperor, in the year A.D. 30, Jesus was crucified, 
being " wounded for our trangressions," and " bruised for 
t our iniquities." His body was " broken " for us ; and it 

Broken. was < « broken " under the reign of Tiberius Caesar, this 



Tiberius 

identified, 

Vile. 



Not 
honored. 



Takes the 
kingdom 

by 

flatteries. 



Arms of a 
flood. 



Prince vof 

the 

covenant. 

Jesus 
Christ. 



Proved. 



A.D. 30. 

Wounded, 

Bruised. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE. 



251 



Other 
events rep- 
resented. 



Several 

verses 

passed 

over. 

Roman 

power in 

31st verse. 



"They." 



The 

Romans 
pollute the 
sanctuary. 
Titus. 



The abom- 
ination. 

Jesus' 
words har- 
monize. 



Matt. 
24: 15. 



" vile person," and the prophetic representation was con- 
firmed. 

Following this description, other events in Roman his- 
tory are represented in this chain of prophecy, in connec- 
tion with which mention is often made of "the king of 
the north " and the " king of the south," unto the end of 
the chapter. But we shall only notice the principal events 
which are thus mentioned, and but very few of those 
even, will receive attention in this lecture. 

We shall now pass over several verses in this foretold 
history, to notice the Roman power and its work, as de- 
scribed in the thirty-first verse, as we read: "And arms 
shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctu- 
ary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, 
and they shall place the abomination that maketh deso- 
late." 

The personal pronoun " they," in this passage, must 
represent the Romans ; for, as we have learned from the 
history, they, the Romans, did "pollute the sanctuary of 
strength''' in Jerusalem, and took "away the daily sacri- 
fice" when Titus, with his frantic forces, entered that 
consecrated temple, in A.D. 70, defiling it with their pres- 
ence and profane work ; and on the seventeenth of July, 
in that year, A.D. 70, "the daily sacrifice" ceased 
forever to be offered, because the Jews were so reduced 
by the Romans that there was no proper person left to 
offer it. ' ' The abomination that maketh desolate " was 
also placed when the Roman army destroyed that holy 
city, and made desolate that country. This is in harmony 
with Jesus' own words, when he gave his disciples a 
"sign" which should precede the destruction of Jerusa- 
lem, which he had foretold ; for he said, as recorded in 
Matthew, in the twenty-fourth chapter and fifteenth verse, 
and onward : ' ' When ye therefore shall see the abomina- 
tion of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand 
in the holy place (whoso readeth, let him understand) : 
then let them which be in Judea flee to the mountains." 
Then, that there might be no mistake in the understanding 



252 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Luke 
21 : 20. 



Dan. 
11 : 33. 



Constan- 
tine, and 
his work. 



Prophetic 
story left 
to be con- 
tinued. 



4th lecture 
closes. 



of this matter, as to what that abomination should be, 
Luke, in the tiventy-jirst chapter and twentieth verse of the 
book which bears his name, says: "And when ye see 
Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the 
desolation thereof is nigh;" in other words, the "abomi- 
nation" that is to make " desolate " is come to do its work, 
thus identifying the Roman " armies" as the " abomina- 
tion that maketh desolate." And if ever there was an 
"abomination," that made " desolate," the Roman army, 
in its desolating work, was that " abomination." 

Following this description, we have, in the thirty-third 
verse of this eleventh of Daniel, a description of that Pagan 
persecution which we noticed in the history, when we 
read: "They shall fall by the sword and by flame, by 
captivity, and by spoil, many days." And then, in the 
next verse, we have the work of Constantine, represented 
as he afforded them assistance, when he embraced the 
Christian religion, and stayed the persecution against the 
Christians ; for we read : " Now when they shall fall, they 
shall be holpen [or helped] with a little help." 

But we shall trace this Prophetic story no farther in this 
lecture. It will be continued in connection with the lec- 
tures which are to follow, until its conclusion is finally 
reached. 

And thus this fourth lecture closes in the midst of his- 
toric and prophetic events, which makes us anxiously wait 
for that which is to follow. 



IiECTUEE Y. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



Introduc- 
tion. 



This 5th 
lecture 
character- 
ized. 



Branching 
out. 

Breaking 
up. 



395 A.D. 

Permanent 
division. 



Arcadius. 
Honoiius. 



Eastern 
empire. 



In our last lecture we traced the history of the Roman 
Empire from the foundation of the City of Rome, in 754 
B.C. to the division of the empire into Eastern and 
Western Rome in A.D. 395. 

In this fifth lecture, we are to trace the history of this 
empire in these two grand divisions, which have continued 
in some form to the present time ; and to notice the sub- 
divisions which have been made, in connection with its 
history, until we understand the position of the govern- 
ments which now exist on the territory of this Old Roman 
Empire. 

Therefore, instead of following in one direct line of 
rulers, as we have done before, we are to branch out in 
different directions, and to consider the breaking up of this 
empire into fragments, which have become separate gov- 
ernments. 

On the death of Ttteovositjs, the forty-seventh emperor of 
the Roman Empire, in direct line from Caesar Augustus, 
in the year 395 A.D., he having constituted the division 
of the empire, his two sons, Arcadius and Honorius, 
succeeded to the thrones of Eastern and Western Rome. 

Arcadius took the throne at Constantinople, in the 
East, and Honorius the throne at Milan, in the West, 
that city having been chosen as the capital, for a time, in 
preference to Rome. 

The Eastern Empire, over which Arcadius had con- 
trol, comprised Thrace, Greece, Asia Minor, Syria 
and Egypt. 



254 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Western 
empire. 



Line of 
emperors 
to A.D. 
1453. 



Mahomet 
II. 



Ottoman 
empire. 



Turks. 
Stamboul. 



31 sultans. 



Abdul 
Hamid II., 
born 1842. 
Made sul- 
tan 1876. 
Line of 
emperors 
to 

A.D. 476. 
Odoacer. 
Augustu- 
lus. 

King of 
Italy. 

His 

success. 



Superse- 
ded. 



Emperor . 
of the east. 



Possesses 
Italy. 

New line 
of rulers. 



The Western Empire, under the rule of Honorius, 
comprised Italy, Africa, Gaul, Spain and Britain, in- 
cluding the provinces of Dalmatia, Pannonia and Nori- 
cum. 

Arcadids, in the East, was succeeded by a line of em- 
perors which continued to A.D. 1453, when Constantine 
XI., who is designated as the one hundredth successor of 
Constantine the Great, was destroyed by Mohammed 
II., and the city of Constantinople became the capital of 
the Ottoman Empire. 

Erom A.D. 1453, the Eastern division of the Roman 
Empire has been under the power of the Turks ; and the 
Roman Constantinople has become the Stamboul of the 
Turks ; and thus its history has been continued, under the 
Turks instead of the Romans, until thirty -one Sultans 
have filled the imperial throne of the Ottoman Empire, at 
Constantinople, including the present Sultan of Turkey, 
Abdul Hamid II., who was born Sept. 22, A.D. 1842, 
and succeeded to the head of that government Aug. 31, 
1876. 

In the West, the line of emperors continued only to the 
year A.D. 476, when Odoacer, a ferocious, barbarian 
warrior, overpowered Augustulus Romulus, the tenth 
successor from Honorius, put an end to the rule of em- 
perors in the West, and, under the title of the King of 
Italy, opened the gates of the Western Empire to for- 
eigners from the barbarous northern countries, cordially 
welcoming them to strengthen his usurped power. But 
after a time they, instead of strengthening him, aspired to 
the control of the government themselves, and took pos- 
session of the territory. They, however, were not des- 
tined to occupy that position long ; for the emperor in the 
East, coveting the universal control of both the East and 
West, succeeded in subduing these barbarous usurpers, 
until he became possessed of Italy and the city of Rome, 
which had given the name to this fourth great empire. 
After which, he assisted in establishing a new line of rulers 
in the West, which continued that western division of the 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



255 



To A.D. 

1&70. 
Reign of 
Popes. 



Justinian. 
527 to 565. 



Pius IX. 
Italians. 

2d of Oct., 
1870. 
Leo XIII. 

Outline. 

A.D. 395 
to A.D. 

1883. 
Go back. 



Minor 
divisions. 



A.D. 395. 



Arcadius 

and 

Honorius. 

In trouble. 
Barbarians 



Gothic 
nation. 

Alaric. 



old Roman empire, in a direct line, down to A.D. 1870. 
The establishment of the reign of Popes constitute this 
new line of rulers ; and it was constituted by the uniting 
of church and state, whereby the Pope, at the head of the 
church, had temporal power, and finally became the dic- 
tator even of the civil rulers, who used their strength to 
support him. 

This was done during the sixth century ; and while 
Justinian was emperor of the East, whose reign dated 
from A.D. 527 to A.D. 565 ; and from that time to A.D. 
1870, one hundred and ninety-seven Popes succeeded to 
the head of church and state, and thus the Western divi- 
sion of this Roman empire was continued until Pope Pius 
IX. had his temporal power taken away, by the Italians, 
on the 2d day of Oct., 1870. The present Pope, Leo 
XIII. , has never had temporal power. 

We have thus a clear outline of the history of these two 
grand divisions of this empire, from the time w T hen the 
division was effected in A.D. 395, to the present year. 

Having thus traced the outline, we now go back to ex- 
amine, more particularly, the characteristic features of 
these divisions, and to consider the minor divisions which 
began to be developed, soon after this first one was 
effected. 

In the year A.D. 395, only a few months after the 
death of Theodosius, who had established the division of 
the empire in the interests of his sons, — those young men, 
Arcadius and Honorius, upon their respective thrones, 
in Eastern and Western Rome, were involved in great 
trouble. Barbarous and savage tribes, who had been anx- 
iously waiting for a favorable opportunity to possess them- 
selves of the territory and cities of the Roman Empire, now 
sought to accomplish their desires, considering the mani- 
fest weakness and insufficiency of Arcadius and Honorius 
as an assurance of success. Therefore, in that memorable 
year A.D. 395, the whole Gothic nation sprang to arms, 
and its numerous tribes, headed by Alaric, their bold and 
energetic leader, began to descend from the wilderness of 



256 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Scythia. 



Territory 
of the east. 



Rome the 
object. 
Italy 
invaded. 

Milan. 



Honorius 
flees. 
Advance 
on Rome. 



A.D. 408, 

City 

blockaded. 



Besieged. 



Joxes' 
description 
of the 
Romans, 
at this 
time. 



Scythia, speedily crossing the Danube, with their heavy 
wagons, and moved onward, in excited thousands, over 
the dominion of Arcadius, in the East, until the principal 
part of that territory was trampled under their feet. Blood 
marked their footsteps, wherever they marched, and deso- 
lation prevailed. 

But the principal object of Alaric and his Gothic 
followers was to take possession of the imperial city, 
Rome. He, therefore, having completed his ravages in 
the East, hastened to the invasion of Italy. Honorius, 
the emperor of the West, was residing in his palace in 
Milan, where he dreamed of security, because of his sur- 
roundings ; but the Gothic leader, with his barbarous 
hosts, proceeded to the city of his retreat, and had the 
pleasure of seeing the emperor of the West flee like a fugi- 
tive before him, He then advanced upon Rome, that 
city of the seven hills, which stood so long as the capital 
of this fourth Empire of the World, and, in the year 
A.D. 408, they reached the coveted metropolis, and began 
to blockade the proud city of the Tiber. 

For a period of six hundred and nineteen years, Rome 
had not been entered by a foreign foe ; but now it was 
doomed to be trampled under the feet of savage warriors 
who aspired to its control. Its walls were surrounded ; 
its principal gates were commanded by Gothic forces, and 
all communication between the citizens and the adjoining 
country was cut off, and the navigation of the river Tiber 
was guarded, thereby preventing the Romans from obtain- 
ing supplies of provisions, and thus reducing the inhab- 
itants to a state of wretchedness and starvation. 

Jones, in his " History of the Church," page 208, de- 
scribes the condition of the Romans at this time as follows : 
"The first emotions of the Roman nobles and the people 
were those of surprise and indignation, that a vile barbarian 
should dare to insult the capital of the world ; but their ar- 
rogance was soon humbled by misfortune. The unfortunate 
city gradually experienced the distress of scarcity, and at 
length the horrid calamities of famine. The daily allow- 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



257 



Romans 
sue for 
peace. 



A D. 409. 

A.D. 410. 
Surrender. 

Alaric, his 
host, and 
40,000 
slaves. 

Romans 
suffer. 



Barbarians 
opposed to 
Roman 
forms, etc. 



New gov- 
ernments. 



ance of three pounds of bread, was reduced to one-half — to 
one-third — to nothing ; and the price of corn still contin- 
ued to rise in a rapid and extravagant proportion. The 
poorer citizens, unable to procure the necessaries of life, 
solicited the precarious charity of the rich ; but private and 
occasional donations were insufficient to appease the hun- 
ger of a numerous people. The food most repugnant to 
sense or imagination, the aliments the most unwholesome 
and pernicious to the constitution, were eagerly devoured 
and fiercely disputed by the rage of hunger. A dark sus- 
picion was entertained that some wretches fed on the 
bodies of their fellow-creatures, whom they had secretly 
murdered, and even mothers are said to have tasted the 
flesh of their slaughtered infants. Many thousands of the 
inhabitants of Rome expired in their own houses, or in the 
streets, for want of sustenance ; and as the public sepul- 
chres without the walls were in the power of the enemy, 
the stench which arose from so many putrid and unburied 
carcasses infected the air, and the miseries of famine were 
succeeded and augmented by contagion of a pestilential 
disease." 

The Romans were so reduced by this fearful calamity 
that they were forced to sue for peace, which was arranged 
upon given terms ; but the treaty was soon broken, and, 
in A.D. 409, Alaric again laid siege to their city. In 
A.D. 410, the Romans were compelled to surrender the 
city to their infuriated opposers ; and then, — through the 
efforts of Alaric and his hosts, assisted by forty thousand 
liberated slaves, who had bowed under the iron hand of 
oppression for years, — the Romans and their city suffered 
beyond description. Such a scene of terror and woe fol- 
lowed as had never been experienced in Rome before. 

The barbarous tribes, bitterly opposed to all forms of 
Roman .government, customs and laws, continued their 
progress, until the whole Roman territory was flooded with 
ambitious, intelligent savages, who succeeded in changing 
the entire face of the country of Europe. 

New governments were established, bearing new names ; 



258 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



New 
laws, etc. 



10 distinct 
govern- 
ments. 



A.D. 449. 
Saxons. 

Britons. 



453. 
Gepidce. 

457, Suevi. 



493. 
Vandals. 

Ostrogoths 



496. 
Alemanni. 

500, Bur- 
gundians. 

Visigoths. 

507. 
Franks. 



Line of 
emperors 
in the west 



Their 
names in 
order. 



A.D. 476. 



new laws were enacted ; different men, speaking different 
languages, began to occupy high positions, and their influ- 
ence began to be realized ; different manners and customs 
were adopted. The people dressed differently, and the 
whole country seemed foreignized and every Eoman fea- 
ture destined to disappear. 

As the result of this work of the numerous Barbarians, 
there were just ten distinct governments established upon 
the territory of the old Roman empire, between the years 
A.D. 449 and A.D. 507, each government bearing the 
name peculiar to its founder ; and thus the Roman Empire 
began to be broken up into minor divisions. These new 
governments were established as follows : — 

About A.D. 449 the Saxons established their govern- 
ment in the southern part of Britain, and the Britons 
established theirs in the western part of that same island. 

In 453, the GEPiDiB was established north of Thrace, 
beyond the Danube. 

In 457, the Suevi established the Suevian kingdom in 
the north-west of Spain. 

In 493, the Vandal Kingdom was established in the 
north of Africa, and in that same year, the Ostrogoths 
were established in Italy. 

In 496, the Alemanni became established just north of 
Italy. 

In 500, the Burgtjndians were established in the east of 
Gaul, and the Visigoths, in Spain. 

In the year 507, the Franks were established in Gaul, 
and the name of that country was changed from Gaul to 
France ; which name it now bears. 

During the time these ten kingdoms were being estab- 
lished, a line of emperors continued in the West until ten 
succeeded to the throne, including Honorius ; notwith- 
standing the work of the Gothic tribes. 

Honorius was succeeded by Valentinian III., and then 
followed the reign of Maximus, Avitus, Majorimanus, 
Severus, Anthemius, Glycerius, Julius Nepos and 
Augustulus Romulus, bringing us to the year A.D. 476, 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



259 



Odoaccr. 



King of 
Italy. 



A.D. 493. 



Line of 
emperors 
in the east. 

Then- 
names in 
order. 



A.D. 493. 



Ostrogoths 
till 553. 



Jnstinian, 
527 to 565. 



when Odoacee, one of the barbarian warriors, triumphed 
over Augustulus Romulus, jmd ended the rule of emperors 
in the West. He took the title, King of Italy, and con- 
trolled that Western division until he was superseded by 
the Ostrogoths, who took possession of Italy in A.D. 
493. 

While the Western empire was thus continued in its 
history, a line of emperors had succeeded to the head of 
the Eastern empire, as follows : — 

Aecadius was succeeded by Theodosius II. ; then fol- 
lowed the reign of Marcianus, Leo I., Leo II., Zeno, and 
Anastacius. Anastacius occupied the throne when the 
Ostrogoths became established in Italy, A.D. 493, ninety- 
eight years after the permanent division of the Roman 
empire into Eastern and Western Rome. 

Italy continued under the power of the Ostrogoths 
until A.D. 553, and the Eastern empire was continued 
to that time through the reisjn of Justin I. and Justinian. 
The reign of Justinian commenced in A.D. 527, and con- 
tinued to A.D. 565, during which time many events of 
interest occurred, which we purpose soon to notice. 



The relig- 
ious aspect 
considered. 



Sad 

change. 



It is important that we now consider the religious aspect 
of these two divisions of the Empire. 

We have already traced the history of the Christian 
Church, from the time of its establishment by Jesus Christ 
and his Apostles, in the glory of the Roman Empire, 
through the many scenes of bloody persecution through 
which it passed, while in its purity, under Pagan Rome, 
until the days of Constantine the Great, who put an 
end to that persecution by embracing the religion of the 
persecuted, and establishing it as the religion of the em- 
pire. 

Then we noticed a sad change in the church professing 
to be the body of Christ, when distractions and divisions 
appeared as the result of contentions and strife among its 
members concerning the nature of Christ, its Head, until 
the Nicene Creed was adopted and confirmed, in A.D. 



260 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Nicene 
creed, 
A.D. 325. 



Church de- 
generated. 



Supersti- 
tion. 



Pray to 
the dead. 

Relics. 



St. Paul. 
St. Peter. 



Alaric 
favors the 
church. 



Church 
prospers. 



325 ; and those who refused to submit to its decrees were 
doomed to persecution from those who claimed to be the 
true followers of Christ, and the party favored by the gov- 
ernment, and in whose interests the Nicene Creed had 
been established, began to triumph over the defeated 
party, in position, until the true principles of the gospel 
were lost sight of, and the nominal church became very 
much degenerated. Churches were established in Con- 
stantinople and Rome, which soon became rivals ; because 
those who stood at the head of those churches, under the 
title of Patriarch of Constantinople and Pope of 
Pome, aspired to the universal control of the ecclesiastical 
body. The church at Constantinople came to be known as 
the Greek Church, because the Greek language was their 
vehicle of communication ; and that in Pome was called 
the Latin Church, because the language of Pome was 
Latin. Superstition crept into it, and different institu- 
tions were established, such as monasteries and nunneries, 
until the church became apostatized and thoroughly cor- 
rupt. They began to pray to the dead, and to grant relics 
of the saints for the purpose of consecrating church edi- 
fices, and the names of the saints were appropriated to 
their places of worship, until we learn that, as early as the 
invasion of Pome by Alaric and his forces, in the first of 
the fifth century, there was a church in that city bearing 
the name of St. Paul, and another bearing the name of 
St. Peter. 

But instead of those church edifices being doomed to the 
same fate as all the other public buildings and institutions 
of Rome, at the time of Alaric's invasion, he gave his fol- 
lowers directions not to interfere with those places of wor- 
ship ; and although those barbarians conquered the Ro- 
mans, they submitted to the established religion of Rome, 
and treated the bishop at the head of the church, with so 
much respect that he began to aspire to a higher position 
than he had ever occupied before ; and, therefore, during 
the desolating work of the many barbarous tribes in the 
Roman empire the nominal church prospered, until its 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



261 



Line of 
bishops. 
32 of them. 

Sylvester 
confirms 
the Nicene 
^ creed. 



From his 
death in 
335 to 
Justinian. 

A.D. 527. 
21 bishops. 
Felix III. 

A.D. 526. 

Dies 

A.D. 530. 
Boniface II 

Interreg- 
num. 



Vacant see 



Justinian's 
work. . 



His edict. 



Quotation 

from 

Bower. 



leader finally gained • the controlling power over Church 
and State. 

From the time when the Christian Church was first es- 
tablished in Rome, to the establishment of the Nicene 
Creed, in A.D. 325, a line of bishops succeeded to the 
head of that church, until thirty-two had occupied that po- 
sition, including Sylvester, who, as the Bishop of Rome, 
confirmed the Nicene Creed in the thirteenth Council of 
Rome, which was composed of two hundred and seventy- 
five bishops. 

From the death of Sylvester, which occurred Dec. 31, 
A.D. 335, to the commencement of the eventful period 
marked by the reign of Justinian, in the East, who came 
upon that throne in A.D. 527, twenty-one bishops suc- 
ceeded to the head of the Roman church, including Felix 
III., who was exalted to that position in A.D. 526. He 
died Sept. 18, 530, and was succeeded by Boniface II., 
who filled the office of bishop until Oct. 17, 532, when he 
died, and an interregnum of about three months followed, 
during which scandalous practices prevailed to an alarm- 
ing extent, and many aspired to the vacant See, as the 
Roman Hierarchy had come to be called. Finally, John 
II. was chosen to fill the vacancy ; and, possessing extraor- 
dinary merit, he sought to remove the corruptions from 
the church, by the use of fair and honorable means. While 
thus engaged, Justinian, the Emperor in the East, who 
had authority in the church, sought to bring all people to 
one general or Catholic faith ; and accordingly issued that 
famous edict known as the Edict of Justinian, whereby 
a cruel persecution was established. "We have an account 
of this in Bowers' History of the Popes, vol. 1, page 334. 
It reads as follows : — 

«' While the Arian king [Athelaric, the Gothic king of 
Italy, in the interests of Bishop John II.] was striving by 
the most just and equitable laws to clear the church from 
all simony in the West, the Catholic Emperor [Justin- 
ian] was employing the most unjust and unchristian means 
of clearing her from all heresies in the East, that of perse- 



262 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Justinian's 
position. 



A.D. 533. 

Dispute. 

Trinity. 



"Virgin 
Mary. 



Monks ap- 
ply to 
Pope John 
II. 



cution, and the most cruel persecution any Christian em- 
peror had yet set on foot or countenanced. For, by an 
edict which he issued to unite all men in one faith, whether 
Jews, Gentiles or Christians, such as did not, in the term 
of three months, embrace and profess the Catholic faith, 
were declared infamous, and, as such, were excluded from 
all employments, both civil and military, rendered incapa- 
ble of leaving anything by will, and their estates confis- 
cated, whether real or personal. These were convincing 
arguments of the truth of the Catholic faith ; but many, 
however, withstood them ; and against such as did, the 
imperial edict was executed with the utmost rigor. Great 
numbers were driven from their habitations, with their 
wives and children, stripped and naked. Others betook 
themselves to flight, carrying with them what they could 
conceal, for their support and maintenance ; but they were 
plundered of the little they had, and many of them inhu- 
manly massacred, by the Catholic peasants, or soldiery, 
who guarded the passes." 

Justinian had openly declared himself opposed to per- 
secutions before this, and is thought to have engaged in 
this bloody and cruel work, not because he thought it the 
proper way to do, but to bring means into his hands which 
he could not obtain otherwise, as he was in great need of 
money. 

In the year A.D. 533, the dispute concerning the ex- 
pression : "One of the Trinity suffered in the flesh," which 
had been previously agitated, was renewed, although 
it had been condemned. The monks at Constantinople 
opposed the expression, while the emperor favored it ; 
and, finally, he denounced as heretics all who did not 
maintain that the Virgin Mary was properly and truly 
the mother of God, and that Christ was, in the strictest 
sense, " One of the Trinity." 

This alarmed the monks, and they despatched two of 
their number to Rome, to engage Pope John II. (as that 
bishop was called) in their interests concerning this doc- 
trine. As soon as Justinian heard that the monks were 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE.— DIVIDED. 



263 



Justinian 

also 

applies. 



The result. 



Agapetus 
Pope. 

Justinian 

and 

Agapetus. 

Their 
work 
considered 



thus seeking the favor of the pope, he resolved to apply 
to that head of the Church at Rome, to solicit his co- 
operation in establishing a creed for the Church. He 
therefore sent two bishops — Hypatius of Ephesus, and 
Demetrius of Philippi, to Rome, with a long creed which 
he had drawn up, containing, with the rest, the disputed 
expression: "One of the Trinity suffered in the flesh." 
This was accompanied by a very obliging letter to the 
Pope, congratulating him on his position, and representing 
that the articles of faith contained in the accompanying 
creed were the faith of the whole Eastern church, and re- 
quested him to declare that he received to his communion 
all who professed that faith, and excluded all who did 
not profess it. 

The committee sent by the monks, and the bishops sent 
by the emperor, arrived in Rome about the same time, 
and both had a hearing before the Pope, who was troubled 
to know what course to pursue. But after delaying his 
decision for a time, he decided in favor of the emperor 
Justinian. 

Soon after this act of Pope John II. he died, and Aga- 
petus was exalted to the office of Pope, at the head of the 
Church in Rome. 

As soon as Justinian heard of the appointment of Aga- 
petus, he wrote him a letter of congratulation, and re- 
quested him to confirm the creed which his predecessor 
had favored, and to exclude as heretics all who opposed 
it. Agapetus readily complied with this request, and ex- 
cluded from the communion of the Apostolic and Catholic 
Church all who should presume to dispute it ; but he 
rather reproved Justinian for dictating in matters of faith, 
as he was only a layman. 

Justinian, in a crafty manner, sought to influence the 
Pope in his favor, gradually assuming power and dictation, 
until the matter came finally to be tested as to which 
should have the right to dictate, Justinian, whose power 
as Emperor of the East gave him great advantage, or the 
Pope, Agapetus, who, at the head of the Church, aspired, 



264 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Vandals 
subdued. 
Bclisarius. 



Ostrogoths 

Pope goes 
to Con- 
stantinople 



The result. 



Patriarch 
Anthimus. 



Test of 
power. 



Quotation 

from 

Bower. 



as well, to the control of the civil government, and to the 
dictation of the rulers, as to the control of the church. 

The Emperor of the East, coveting the territory of the 
West, had made an effort to get possession of it as far as 
possible ; and had succeeded at this time in subduing the 
Vandals in Africa, and had sent his troops, under the 
command of Belisarius (who had been so successful 
against the Yandals), into Italy, for the purpose of con- 
quering the Ostrogoths. This terrified the Gothic ruler 
in Italy, and he forced Agapetus, the Pope, to go to Con- 
stantinople, to arrange some terms of reconciliation with 
Justinian. Though advanced in years, that head of the 
church went to consult the emperor, who received him 
cordially ; but the circumstances surrounding the King of 
Italy changed somewhat, so that the services of Agapetus 
were not required in his interest. But a work of more 
vital importance to the church, immediately demanded his 
attention. The Patriarch of Constantinople had died, and 
one Anthtmus had been transferred from Trebisond to fill 
the vacant office. But such arrangements had been 
prohibited by the canons of the church; therefore An- 
thimus could not legally fill the office. The emperor 
respected him, however, and wished him to be recognized 
by the Pope of Eome ; and when Agapetus refused to 
recognize him, the emperor attempted to force him to do 
so. But the Pope was inflexible. He would admit the 
pretended patriarch to his communion as Bishop of Treb- 
isond, on certain conditions ; but refused to recognize him 
as Patriarch of Constantinople. The emperor, being in- 
dignant at his stubbornness, said to Agapetus: "I will 
have you acknowledge him for lawful bishop of Constan- 
tinople. Acknowledge him this moment, or this moment I 
drive you from hence into exile." 

As these words of authority were sternly uttered by 
Justinian, the Pope dignifiedly and calmly said, "I ex- 
pected to see a most religious and Christian emperor, and 
therefore cheerfully undertook, in my old age, so long a 
journey ; but I find, to my great disappointment and sur- 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



265 



Dignity of 
the pope. 
Emoeror 
yields. 



Head of 
the church 
over the 
head of 
the gov- 
ernment. 

Pope con- 
gratulated. 



Dies 
A.D. 536. 



Friends of 
Anthimus. 



Council, 
May 2d. 



50 bishops. 



Proceed- 
ings of the 
council. 



An edict of 
Justinian, 
Aug. 6th. 



prise, that I have to deal with a new Diocletian. But 
know, sir, that I dread not your anger ; I fear not your 
menaces. Dispose of me as you please ; I shall think it 
the greatest happiness to lay down my life in so good 
a cause." (Bower's History of the Popes, Vol. 1, 
p. 340.) 

The cool and dignified manner of the Pope caused the 
emperor to quail before him, and to yield to the power of 
the Pope, and he assisted to depose Anthimus, the would- 
be patriarch, for whose rights he had so strongly con- 
tended ; and thus the head of the church triumphed over 
the head of the government, and Anthimus was removed, 
and another man was appointed to the office. 

Agapetus was immediately congratulated by the bishops, 
clergy, and even by the monks, because of his victory 
over the emperor, and was urged to use his influence to 
excommunicate every heretical officer from the different 
churches, and thus to remove all erroneous theories from 
the body. But he died on the 22d of April, A.D. 536, 
and could not accomplish all that was desired. As soon 
as Agapetus was dead, the friends of Anthimus, the de- 
posed patriarch, attempted to reinstate him ; but the newly 
appointed patriarch called a council, which assembled at 
Constantinople, on the 2d of May, A.D. 536, and con- 
tinued its session till the 4th of June. It was com- 
posed of fifty bishops, whose combined wisdom was exer- 
cised to remove the existing trouble. Anthimus was 
summoned to appear before this august council, but he 
refused to do so ; whereupon the council divested him of 
his episcopal dignity, and declared him unworthy of the 
name Christian, and anathematized all his followers. The 
emperor was then informed of the proceedings and was 
desired to justify them, and, as a servant of the church, 
that ruler of the government issued an edict, which was 
dated August 6th, A.D. 536, whereby he ordered the 
decision of that council to be executed. He banished 
Anthimus and his adherents from Constantinople, and 
refused them a residence in any city ; he condemned their 



266 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Church 
and State 
united 
in 536. 

Final 
result. 



70,000,000 
fall. 

Ostrogoths 



Subdued, 
A.D. 553. 
Alemanni 
subdued. 

Control of 
the east 
and west. 

Chief ruler 

Supporter 

of the 

church. 

His 

successors, 



A.1D. 610. 
From 
death of 
Agapetus 
to A.D. 61-0 
9 Popes. 

Their 
names. 

Supported 
by the 
emperors. 

Boniface 

III. 

Phocas, 

A.D. 607. 

Universal 

bishop. 



Papacy es- 
tablished. 



books to be burned, and declared that any person who 
should be found harboring the books, or should be guilty 
of transcribing them, should have the right hand cut off. 

Thus church and state became united, and persecu- 
tion followed, which the Church dictated, and the State 
supported, until we see the final result, at the end of about 
one thousand two hundred and sixty years of cruel torture 
and destruction, and the bloody record of nearly seventy 
millions who fell during that papal persecution. 

Justinian continued his efforts against the Ostrogoths 
until they were conquered, and he became possessed of 
the territory of Italy, which he did about A.D. 553. He 
also subdued the Alemanni, in the north of Italy, and thus 

brought THREE OF THE BARBARIAN KINGDOMS UNDER HIS 

power, and obtained the control of eastern and western 
Eome. 

He was then the principal ruler upon the territory of the 
old Roman Empire, and the supporter of the church at Rome. 

His successors continued in the same line, until Justin 
II., Tiberius II., Maurice and Phocas had filled the 
imperial throne, in their respective order, dating from 
A.D. 565, to A.D. 610. 

From the death of Pope Agapetus in A.D. 536, to this 
period (A.D. 610) nine Popes had succeeded to the head of 
the church ; namely, Silverius, Vigilius, Pelagius, John 
III,, Benedict, Pelagius II., Gregory, Sabinian, and 
Boniface III. 

These were supported by the emperors in their order, 
until finally the power to exercise authority over Church 
and State was more thoroughly vested in Pope Boniface 
ni. by the emperor Phocas, in A.D. 607, when he was 
honored with the coveted title of Universal Bishop ; and 
finally the Popes were crowned, not only under that title 
but also as Universal Monarch. 

Thus the papacy was established, and its bloody work 
of persecution was carried forward against its opposers, 
until, as we have seen, nearly seventy millions were put 
to death during ..the time of its history. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



267 



Emperors 
of the east 
to 
A.D. 754. 



About 218 
years. 

35 Popes. 



Pope Ste- 
phen II. 
Pepin. 



The pope's 
proposi- 
tion. 



Pepin 
agrees. 



Pepin 
crowned 
and his 
family 
anointed. 



A quota- 
tion. 

The Pope's 
blessing. 



Pepin his 
supporter. 



Charle- 
magne. 



The Emperors of the East continued to support the 
papacy until about A.D. 754, when they began to take 
advantage of the Pope and to refuse him his position ; 
which made it necessary for him to seek for protection 
from some other power. For a period of about two hun- 
dred and eighteen years the Eastern emperors had strength- 
ened that power, and assisted in the work of persecution, 
until thirty-jive Popes had succeeded to the head of Church 
and State. 

In A.D. 754, Pope Stephen II. began to seek for a sup- 
porter by applying to Pepin, King of France, who had 
been elected to that office against the le^al claim of an- 
other, and who desired very much to have the hereditary 
crown transferred to his family. The Pope cunningly and 
craftily represented to Pepin, that -if he would agree to 
support the papal church at Rome, he would transfer the 
hereditary crown to his family, and annoint him King op 
France, claiming that he had vested in himself, by divine 
authority, the right to do so. Pepin agreed to the 
proposition of the Pope, and the ceremony of crowning 
was performed in the church of St. Denis ; and Pepin, his 
queen, Bertrade, and their two sons, Charlemagne 
and Carloman, received the royal unction, and there the 
Pope bestowed "The title of Roman patricians on Pepin 
and his two sons." 

' ' When the ceremony was over, the pope gave a solemn 
blessing to the French nobility who had assisted in it, . . . 
binding them and their posterity, by virtue of the author- 
ity of St. Peter, vested in him, to maintain the royal 
dignity in the family of Pepin, and to raise no other (so 
long as any of that family remained,) to the throne." (Bow- 
ers' History of the Popes, vol. 2, p. 95.) 

This having been accomplished, Pepin began his work 
of supporting the Pope, who had granted him such a great 
favor, and readily submitted to do the will of the head of 
the church, thereby allowing him still to stand at the 
head of Church and State. 

Charlemagne, of the newly constituted royal family, 



268 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Crowned 
emperor, 
A.D. 800. 

The cir- 
cumstan- 
ces attend- 
ing it. 



On Christ- 
mas day. 

For more 
than 
200 years. 



47 popes. 
Persecu- 
tion 
continues. 

11th 

Century. 



Germany. 



A.D 1012. 

Benedict 

VIII. 

Henry II. 

of 

Germany. 



Crowned 

in 

1014 A.D. 



succeeded to the throne of France as king, on the death of 
Pepin ; and, in A.D. 800, he was crowned Emperor or 
the Romans, by Pope Leo III. 

The throne in the East was filled by the empress Irene, 
when the Pope, bishops, and the people of Kome gener- 
ally, thought best to make Charlemagne, the King of 
France, also the Emperor of the Romans. He willingly 
consented to be vested with more power, and was conse- 
crated by Leo, and took the title of Emperor ; and soon 
after, in the Church of St. Peter, Pope Leo HI. placed the 
crown upon the head of Charlemagne, and the people 
shouted, as he did so, "To Charles Augustus, crowned 
by the hand of God, great and pacific emperor, — life and 
victory ! " 

Charlemagne was appointed emperor, and anointed 
by the Pope, on Christmas day, A.D. 800. 

From this time onward, for more than two hundred years, 
the papacy was supported by the rulers in the West, 
who were crowned in their order by the Pope, during 
which time about forty-seven Popes succeeded to the head 
of Church and State, and the papal persecution was con- 
tinued, gradually growing more terrible in its awful work. 

In the commencement of the eleventh century, the sup- 
port of the papacy again failed, and the Pope was driven 
to the task of finding another supporter. He soon suc- 
ceeded in arranging for support from Germany, which 
was, at that time, the principal power of Europe. 

In A.D. 1012, Pope Benedict VIII. , having been 
driven from his position by one Gregory, sought the 
protection of Henry n., king of Germany, and found in 
him a friend and supporter. He promised to reinstate 
him, and went to Rome for that purpose, as he had been 
assured by the Pope that he should be crowned emperor in 
consequence of his assistance, and thereby become the 
principal ruler under the jurisdiction of the Pope. 

Henry II. , therefore, was crowned emperor, and his 
queen, Cunnegunda, empress, by Pope Benedict VIII., 
in A.D. 1014. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



269 



His 

obligation. 



A present 
from the 
Pope. 



Germany- 
supports 
the papacy 
over 
200 years. 



Henry IV. 
A.D. 1073. 



Gregory 
VII. 

Their rela- 
tion to 
each other. 



Henry in 
despair. 



Before placing the crown upon his head, the Pope asked 
the German king if he would " Be the protector and de- 
fender of the Church, and be faithful to him and his suc- 
cessors ?" when that king pledged himself to ' ' Defend the 
Church to the utmost of his power, and to pay all due 
obedience to his Holiness, the Pope, and his successors." 
The Pope then set the crown upon his head and saluted 
him Emperor, while the people shouted their acclamations. 

The Pope then presented the new emperor with a crown 
of gold, in the form of a globe, richly set with precious 
stones, and having a cross of gold placed upon the top of 
it, to represent that he must reign over the world un- 
der THE PROTECTION OF THE CROSS. 

This was done on the 14th of Feb., in the year 1014, 
A.D. 

In harmony with these obligations, the rulers of Ger- 
many, each in his order, being crowned by the Pope, 
continued to support the Papacy for over two hundred 
year's; and those crowned heads often realized the tyran- 
nical power of him who stood above them, at the head of 
Church and State. 

Henry IV. of Germany, in A.D. 1073, had a sad expe- 
rience, which demonstrates this fact, and unfolds to our 
view the great authority and cruel disposition of the one 
who claimed to represent the Lord Jesus Christ on earth 
at the head of the Church. During the reign of Henry IV. , 
who had been crowned by the Pope as his predecessors had 
been, that ruler determined to contend for authority above 
the Pope. Pope Gregory VII. contended against him, 
until Henry,, to show that he intended to establish his 
right to the supremacy, deposed the Pope, declaring him 
no longer worthy of that title. 

Gregory immediately excommunicated the emperor, and 
liberated all his subjects from the oath of allegiance, and 
declared that if they supported Henry in any manner what- 
ever, they should be doomed to eternal damnation. 

Henry was thus reduced to a state of despair, because 
abandoned by his subjects ; and at last he was forced to 



270 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Germany 
ceases to 
support 
the papacy 



Clement 

IV. 

Charles of 

Anjou 

crowned. 

Neapolitan 

dynasty. 

1544. 



Spain. 



Jesuitism 
established 
1540 A.D. 



Austria. 



French 
revolution. 



Jesuitism 

abolished, 
A.D. 1773. 



cross the Alps in mid- winter, and proceed to Italy, to beg 
of Gregory to reinstate him ; when that pope compelled 
the suppliant to remain outside the door three days and 
three nights, in the dead of winter, bareheaded and bare- 
footed, before he would consent to admit him into his 
presence, to reinstate him. 

After about two hundred and fifty years, Germany 
ceased to support the Papacy ; and the Pope, being anx- 
ious to continue the supremacy of the church, and to de- 
stroy all who violated its decrees, sought another pro- 
tector ; and soon, taking possession of Naples, he estab- 
lished another supporting power, The Neapolitan Dyn- 
asty. 

Pope Clement IV. crowned Charles of Anjou, and 
placed him upon the throne of Naples in A.D. 1265, and 
thus established this Neapolitan Dynasty, by which the 
papacy was upheld for more than two hundred years, and 
the bloody work of persecution still continued. 

About the year 1544 A.D.,the Neapolitan dynasty had 
ceased to support the papacy, and an arrangement was 
completed with Spain, whereby the desired support was 
granted, and the Pope, at the head of Church and State, 
was allowed to continue the work of persecution for about 
one hundred and fifty years longer, during which time the 
most cruel form of this persecution prevailed under Jesu- 
itism, which was established A.D. 1540. 

After a long period Spain became weakened, and ceased 
to support the Popes in power ; when an agreement was 
made with Austria, and that government submitted to the 
Pope, and its rulers submitted to be crowned by him as 
his supporters ; which arrangement continued over a hun- 
dred years, until the French revolution broke out, and 
Austria became too weak to support the papacy any 
longer. 

During the time of Austria's support of the papacy, the 
persecution, which had continued for so long a time, ter- 
minated. Austria abolished Jesuitism in A.D. 1773, and 
the persecution ended. The temporal power of the 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



271 



Turn again 
to the 
east. 



Tnrks. 



Alliance 

with 

Justinian. 

Mt. Cau- 
casus. 

Turkestan. 



Ancient 
names. 

Geougen. 
Khan. 

Slaves 
called 
Turks. 

They rebel. 

Bertezena. 



Their 
success. 



Their 
progress. 



Pope was not taken away, however, only he was no 
longer allowed to persecute those who did not submit to 
his decrees. 

Having traced the history of the West to that important 
event the French Eevolution, we will turn our attention 
again to the East, and trace the events of interest in con- 
nection with history there, down to the same point ; as 
both the eastern and western divisions of the Roman Em- 
pire are involved in the interests of that terrible revolu- 
tion. 

While Justinian was Emperor of the East, and was, as 
we have noticed, engaged in the interests of the Pope, 
Constantinople was visited by a peculiar people, savage 
and warlike, wearing their hair long and gracefully bound 
with ribbons. They were the Turks, and the first Turks 
who ever entered upon the continent of Europe. 

They proposed an alliance with Justinian, which was 
arranged upon mutually satisfactory terms. 

These peculiar people had come from the foot of Mount 
Caucasus ; but they originated farther east, even beyond 
the Caspian sea, in the country now known as Turkes- 
tan, a mountainous region, which was sometimes called 
Caf, Imaus, Golden Mountains, and The Girdle of 
the Earth. 

This country was controlled by a class of people known 
as the Geougen, and was ruled by a Khan. 

They owned many mines, which were worked by slaves ; 
and the lowest portion of these slaves were Turks. 

After a time these Turks rebelled, under the leadership 
of one of their number, whose name was Bertezena ; and 
they finally succeeded in overpowering their oppressors, the 
Geougen, and took possession of their native land ; and 
that country has been called Turkestan, because it was 
the original home of the Turks. 

Having been successful in getting possession of their 
own country, they began to look westward, and advanced 
with their conquests until they came to the foot of Mount 
Caucasus, where they were watching, with ambitious 



272 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Moham- 
med born, 
A.D. 570. 
Mecca. 
Arabia. 
Prophet, 
609 A.D. 



Descen- 
dant of 
Ishmael. 



Reference 
to 1st 
lecture. 



Interesting 
facts. 

Two 

prophets. 



Moham- 
med fails 
in Mecca. 



His flight, 
622 A.D. 



Two eras. 



1883 Chris- 
tian era. 



interest, the decline of the Roman Empire, and came at last 
to take one decisive step toward gaining power in the eastern 
division of that empire, as they formed an alliance with 
Justinian. Having formed that alliance, they returned to 
the foot of Mount Caucasus, to await further develop- 
ments, w T hen they might accomplish more in their own 
interests against the Romans ; where we leave them for the 
present, to give attention to other events. 

In A.D. 570, one Mohammed was born near the city of 
Mecca, on the Red Sea, in the country of Arabia. 

He appeared as a prophet in A.D. 609, and began to 
advocate theories which he claimed to have received 
directly from God. 

This Mohammed, the Arabian, was a direct descendant 
from Ishmael, the son of Hagar, the bond-woman, who 
was " cast out" when Isaac, the true seed of Abraham, 
was born. 

As we noticed in our first lecture, the twelve princes 
whom Ishmael begat settled between Egypt and Assyria, 
and from them this great Arabian nation descended. Mo- 
hammed was therefore a descendant of Ishmael. 

It is of interest to notice, that after Jesus Christ had 
appeared as the true Prophet of God, and a direct descend- 
ant of Isaac, that a Prophet should thus come from among 
the descendants of Ishmael claiming to be the Prophet of 
God. ignoring the seed of Abraham through Isaac. 

Mohammed labored to establish his doctrines in Mecca, 
with very ill success. He suffered persecution, until at 
last he fled before his enemies, in A.D. 622, and finally 
reached the city of Medina, where he succeeded in con- 
verting many to his religion. 

His flight from Mecca is called the Hejirah, from which 
their era is dated. It occurred on the 20th of June, A.D. 
622. 

The Mohammedans, therefore, reckon time differently 
than Christians do. Our time is Christian era; theirs is 
Moll ainmeda n era . 

This present year, 1883, Christian era, is"1260 and 1261, 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



273 



1260 and 

1261 Mo- 
hammedan 
era. 

His suc- 
cess in 
Medina. 
A.D. 628. 
1500 men. 



Pilgrimage 
Kaaba. 



Their 
claim for 
the Kaaba. 

Zem-Zem. 



Black 
stone. 



A.D. 629. 

Number 
2000. 
A.D. 632. 
Moham- 
med dies. 



Koran. 



Abu Bekir 



Omar. 



Mohammedan era ; their 1260th year ending on the 20th, 
of June next, when the 1261st will commence. 

Mohammed succeeded in his efforts, after removing 1 to 
Medina, until in the year A.D. 628, six years after his 
flight from Mecca, he led about fifteen hundred men back 
to that city, where, though opposed at first, he succeeded 
in entering Mecca, and made an arrangement whereby his 
followers, for ten years, might, unmolestedly, perform 
a pilg ijfrige to the sacred temple, the Kaaba, every 
3 r ear^wrying three days to perform their sacred devo- 
tions. 

The Mohammedans claim that the small building in 
Mecca, known as the Kaaba, was built by Abraham, and 
that the well Zem-zem, near the Kaaba, was made to 
quench the thirst of Ishmael, when Hagar, wandering in 
the desert with her boy, was in such distress because there 
was no water to quench his thirst. 

In one corner of the walls of the Kaaba, there is a cer- 
tain black stone, which they claimed was brought by the 
angel Gabriel from heaven. This stone is placed in the 
wall, about four feet from the ground. It is highly pol- 
ished, and is held sacred by the pilgrims, who to this day 
go to Mecca, and kiss the black stone. 

In A.D. 629, the Mohammedans who went on their pil- 
grimage to Mecca, numbered two thousand. 

Mohammed continued the work until A.D. 632, when 
he died, on the 8th of June. He left sacred utterances 
of his thoughts and feelings, which were brought together 
in a book, which -is called the Koran ; and that has been 
the sacred book of the Mohammedans, as the Scriptures 
of the Old and New Testament has been the sacred book 
of the Christians. 

Mohammed was succeeded by Abu Bekir, who received 
the title of Caliph, which title was created for him. 

Omar was the second who bore thai; title, and he suc- 
ceeded in conquering the nations of the East ; until we 
learn that in seven years after the death of Mohammed, the 
land of Palestine, and the whole of Syria, had bowed 



274 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Takes Je- 
rusalem in 
A.D. 637. 



Mosque of 
Omar. 



Othman. 
665 A.D. 



Prosperity 
of Moham- 
medanism. 

Turks 
again. 



7th 

Century. 

Heraclius. 



9th 

Century. 

Motassem 

establishes 

50,000 

Turks in 

Arabia. 



Title 
of sultan. 



Autocrat. 



Shah 
Soliman. 



under the sceptre of the Caliph, and the Saracen, or 
Arabian Mohammedans, became invincible in the East. 

Omar took possession of the old site of Jerusalem, in 
A.D. 637, and a Mohammedan place of worship was 
erected near the spot once occupied by the temple of Sol- 
omon, to which Omar's name was given, and it was called 
the Mosque of Omar ; and it stands to-day, a prominent 
place of Mohammedan worship. 

Othman was the third Caliph, and Aijt the fourth, con- 
tinuing this history to A.D. 655, at which time the scep- 
tre of the Caliph had become extended over Arabia, 
Syria, Persia and Egypt, and these nations had yielded to 
the Mohammedan religion. 

Thus this Mohammedan power prevailed, and the reli- 
gion of the False Prophet was established. 

We now turn again to the Turks, whom we left at the 
foot of Mt. Caucasus, after they had formed an alliance 
with Justinian. 

About the middle of the seventh century, Heraclius, 
who was then emperor at Constantinople, showed the 
Turks great favor, which encouraged them to move on- 
ward in pursuit of power. 

In the ninth century, these Turks were introduced into 
Arabia, when Motassem, who was then Caliph, established 
no less than fifty thousand of them in the very heart of 
his government. They speedily embraced the Moham- 
medan religion, and gained influence among its adherents, 
until the title of Sultan was invented for a Turkish 
Mohammedan, about one thousand years after the birth of 
Christ. 

This title means simply Autocrat, or Lord, and has 
been borne by Turkish rulers from that time to the present. 

The Turks now seemed destined to become masters of 
the territory of western Asia. One of them, Shah Sol- 
iman, a prince of the town of Nera, on the Caspian Sea, 
spread the terror of his arms through Asia Minor, and as 
far east as the River Euphrates, in whose waters he was 
finally drowned. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



275 



Orthogrul. 

Athman. 
Holy war. 

A.D. 1299. 



Orchan, 
1326. 
Ottoman 
empire. 



Orthogrul, his son, succeeded him, and after a time he 
was succeeded by Thaman, or Athman. 

Athman resolved to propagate the religion of the Ko- 
ran by every means in his power, and began a holy war 
against its opposers in A.D. 1299. He descended into 
Nicomedia, and succeeded in gaining victory after vic- 
tory ; and for twenty-seven years, he continued to make 
inroads upon his enemies' territory, and to achieve con- 
quests in different directions. 

Orchan, his son, took Prusa, the capital of Bythinia, 
in A.D. 1326, and there established the Ottoman Empire, 
which received its name from the Caliph Othman. 

This empire was thus established, with its capital just 
opposite to Constantinople, that grand capital of the East- 
ern Roman Empire, and where the ambition of its ruler, 
the Sultan, would naturally be excited to obtain that grand 
city for the capital of his empire, as, from time to time, 
his eyes were turned toward its magnificence. 



Amurath. 
Bajazet. 



Moham- 
med II. 



Descrip- 
tion of 
Constanti- 
nople. 



Moham- 
med's ar- 
my 258,000 



Cannon. 
600 lb. ball 

Gunpow- 
der. 



Amurath succeeded Orchan in this Ottoman empire. 

Bajazet followed Amurath ; and finally his grandson, 
Mohammed II., was exalted to the throne. 

Mohammed II. resolved to get possession of Constanti- 
nople, and to make it the grand seat of his empire. 

The coveted metropolis was a very difficult place to 
take. It has been described as an "unequal triangle, 
the obtuse point of which extends towards the continent 
of Asia, and is washed by the waters of the Bosphorus. 
It is bounded on the north by the harbor, and on the south 
by the Sea of Marmora ; the base of the triangle is 
toward the west, and it terminates the continent of Eu- 
rope." 

Mohammed raised an army of two hundred and fifty-eight 
thousand Turks, with which to accomplish his great de- 
si son. He eno-ao-ed a Danish founder to make him a can- 
non capable of throwing a six-hundred-pound ball more 
than a mile ; thus bringing to his aid the then recent inven- 
tion of gunpowder, which was employed with terrible 



276 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



320 vessels. 



Difficulties 



Constan- 
tine XI. 



How Mo- 
hammed 
found ac- 
cess to the 
harbor. 



City taken 
May 29th 
1453. 



St. Sophia. 

The pro- 
ceedings of 
the Turks. 



effect in the siege which followed. The cannon could only 
be fired seven times a day. 

Having thus prepared for an attack upon the proud city 
of Constantinople, Mohammed II. advanced with his forces 
upon it. His navy consisted of about three hundred 
and twenty vessels, eighteen of which were galleys of war. 
This fleet could operate in the Sea of Marmora ; but it was 
impossible to penetrate the harbor by sailing through the 
Bosphorus, for the mouth of that strait was defended by 
a superior fleet, and the mouth of the harbor was closed 
by a huge chain. It was essential to enter the harbor 
in order to take the city, and that seemed an impossi- 
bility. 

The Eoman emperor, Constantine XI., reigning as a 
Christian emperor, with his officers, rejoiced, while the 
Turks were in despair. But Mohammed was not to fail. 
He conceived the plan of transporting his fleet overland to 
the harbor; and, by his energy and ingenuity, the work 
was done. We are told that a narrow passage was dug 
from the Sea of Marmora to the harbor west of the city, a 
distance of about ten miles. This passage, which was just 
wide enough to allow the keel of the vessel to slide in it, 
was lined with planks, and they were besmeared with 
grease ; and in one single night he succeeded in transfer- 
ing eighty of his lightest vessels into the harbor, and thus 
found access to the city, which he took on the 29th of 
May, A.D. 1453. Constantine XI. was slain, and there 
ended the reign of emperors in the Eastern division of 
the Roman Empire. The Turks advanced to the Church 
of St. Sophia, the principal place of Christian worship in 
that city, and speedily stripped it of all its images and 
pictures ; and, in a few hours, the crier mounted the most 
lofty turret, and announced the public invitation, in the 
name of God and his Prophet, for the people to assemble 
for Mohammedan worship. The Iman preached ; and 
Mohammed II. prayed and offered thanksgiving on the great 
altar ; where the Christian ceremonies had so recently been 
observed in the presence of the last Csesar. Thus the 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



277 



Royal 
palace. 



Persian 
distich. 



Ottoman 
empire es- 
tablished 



Mahomet 
dies. 
A.D. 1480. 



Selim. 
A.D. 1517. 



Soliman, 
A.D. 1519 
to 
A.D. 1566. 

His 

conquests. 



Climax. 
Decline. 



Sick man. 



Church of St. Sophia was converted into a Mohammedan 
mosque. 

From that sacred spot Mohammed proceeded to the royal 
palace of Constantine, which had been stripped of all its 
royalty, when sad and gloomy reflections crossed his mind, 
and he uttered the Persian distich — ' ' The spider has woven 
his web in the imperial palace ; and the owl has sung her 
watch-song on the towers of Afrasiab." 

Mohammed moved his seat of empire to Constantinople, 
and there consolidated the empire ; and a succession of 
able rulers filled the Ottoman throne, until thirty -one 
Sultans have stood at the head of that government, in- 
cluding Abdul Hamid II. the present Autocrat, of Con- 
stantinople. 

Mohammed died in A.D. 1480, just twelve years before 
Columbus discovered America. He was succeeded by his 
son, who was soon murdered by his son, and that murderer 
commenced his reign as Selim I. 

Selim defeated the Mamelukes, and in A.D. 1517 he 
subdued Egypt, Syria and Palestine. For fifty years 
from that time "the arms of the Ottomans," it is said, 
'■' were the terror of Europe and Asia." 

This was specially true during the reign of Selim's 
successor, who was Soliman I. , The Magnificent. Sol- 
iman The Magnificent, reigned from A.D. 1519, to 
A.D. 1566. 

He took Belgrade, the island of Ehodes, andBuDA; 
subdued half of Hungary, made Moldavia tributary, and 
conquered the principal cities of Persia. During his 
reign, the Ottoman empire reached the climax of its glory. 
Before the death of this ' ' magnificent " ruler it began to 
decline, and since his death it has been gradually grow- 
ing weaker, until its ruler has come to be known as the 
"sick man." 



Titles. The Ottoman government is called the Sublime Porte ; 

the Sultan's prime minister — the Grand Vizier ; the min- 
ister of foreign affairs — the Keis Effendi ; the admiral — 



278 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Revolu- 
tionary 
ball. 
Rome, 



and Con- 
stantinople 



A.D. 1755. 
Earth- 
quake at 
Lisbon. 



A.D. 1769. 



the Capitan Pasha ; the judges — Cadis ; and the chief 
priest, or arch-bishop, is called Grand Mufti. 

We mention these titles, as they are often referred to by 
writers, and should be understood by all. 

We have now become acquainted with the condition of 
affairs in the eastern and western divisions of the Roman 
empire just prior to the breaking .out of the French 
revolution — that wonderfully stirring event, which revolu- 
tionized all Europe, as well as France. 

When the spirit of revolution began to manifest itself; 
or " when," as it has graphically been stated, "The re- 
volutionary BALL COMMENCED TO ROLL IN FRANCE," ROME 

was under the power of the Pope, who stood at the head 
of the Papal Church and State, being supported by Aus- 
tria, the sixth leading power which had consented to 
yield to the dictation of the Pope, and to support the Pa- 
pacy, since its establishment ; and Constantinople was 
under the power of the Sultan, who stood at the head of 
the Mohammedan Church and State in the east. 

We can now properly consider the great commotion 
occasioned by the French during the eighteenth century ; 
but before doing so, we wish to call attention to some 
remarkable events which preceded this French revolu- 
tion in that century, and to notice the position occupied 
by the principal powers of Europe just prior to the terri- 
ble storm, which burst at last, in all its fury upon them. 

In the year A.D. 1755, a remarkable earthquake occur- 
red at Lisbon, when in about eight minutes nearly all the 
houses, and about fifty thousand inhabitants, were swal- 
lowed up ; whole streets were buried, and the cities of 
Combra, Oporto, Braza and St. Ubes, suffered much. 
The shock affected the whole territory of Spain, and the 
countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Scotland, 
even, realized the shock, and American shores were affected 
by it. This earthquake occurred Nov. 1st, and has been 
described as the most wonderful of the many terrible ones 
which have occurred in the history of Europe. 

In A.D. 1769, August 15th, Napoleon Bonaparte was 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



279 



Birth of 
Napoleon. 



A.D. 1773. 

Abolish- 
ment of 
Jesuitism. 



May 19, 
A.D. 1780. 
Dark day. 



A.D. 1789. 
Spirit of 
revolution. 

Principal 
powers of 
Europe. 



born, at Ajaccio, on the Island of Corsica. This island 
belonged to Italy ; and, therefore, Napoleon Bonaparte 
was really an Italian. 

In A.D. 1773, Jesuitism was abolished by Austria, as 
we have already stated, and the cruel Papal persecution 
ended, after nearly seventy millions of victims had fallen 
under its power. 

In A. D. 1780, May 19th, that memorable dark day 
occurred which so terrified the people that many thought 
the Day of Judgment had come. The boundaries of that 
darkness have never been reliably fixed. 

In A.D. 1789, that spirit of revolution began to mani- 
fest itself in France, as we have stated. At that time as now, 
the principal powers of Europe were, England, Austria, 
Prussia and Russia ; and that we may appreciate the relation 
they sustained to the great events which follow this period, 
we purpose to notice the position they then occupied. 



England 
from its 
origin. 
A.D. 828. 



Lines of 
kings. 



Wm. Pitt, 
Fox and 
Burke. 



India. 



Armies. 



England, the foundation of which was laid when Egbert 
King of Wessex was crowned at Winchester, under the 
title of King of England, in A.D, 828, (about four hun- 
dred years after the Saxons first entered Britain,) had 
come to be a strong and powerful kingdom. Its history 
had continued through the different lines of kings, as fol- 
lows : Seventeen of the Saxon line ; three of the line of the 
Danes \four Normans ; fourteen Plantagenets ; five Tu- 
dors ; six Stuarts, and three of the Brunswick line. 
King George, the Third, the third of that line, was upon 
the throne when that excitement began in France which re- 
sulted in the great revolution. William Pitt was Prime 
Minister, and Fox and Burke were members of the Brit- 
ish Parliament, which was stirred with their reasoning and 
eloquence. 

India had just been brought under the power of Eng- 
land, and its riches were added to her former wealth. The 
home army consisted of thirty-two thousand men, and the 
army in the East and West Indies consisted of an equal 
number ; all under the control of this mighty government. 



280 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Prosperous 



Gibbon's 
regret. 



Verge of 
an event- 
ful period. 



Chester- 
field's 
foresight- 



Austria 
from its 
origin. 
A.D. 1156. 



Population 
Revenue. 



Maria An- 
toinette. 
Louis XVI 



But her principal strength lay in her great wealth, the 
public spirit and energy of her subjects, and in a fleet of 
one hundred and fifty vessels, which commanded the seas. 

In this condition, prosperous and undisturbed, she 
dreamed of security, and looked forward to many years of 
peace and tranquility. Gibbon regretted that the period 
of exciting events had gone by, and said that "modem 
historians would never be able to record the stirring inci- 
dents and dark catastrophes of ancient time." "Such," 
says a writer, " were the anticipations of the greatest men, 
on the verge of a period that was to usher in a new CLe- 
sar, and to be illustrated by an Austeelitz and a Tra- 
falgar, a Wellington and a Waterloo." 

None but Lord Chesterfield had keenness of percep- 
tion sufficient to detect the approaching revolution ; and 
he detected it twenty-five years before it came. He 
watched the indications of the rising storm, and was able 
thus to predict. But his predictions did not arouse others, 
until the storm-cloud had gathered in blackness, and the 
vivid flashes of lightning, followed by muttering thunders, 
apprised the nations that protection was needed of a more 
than ordinary character. 

Austria had come, from being known simply as the Os- 
trich (or eastern part) of Germany, and Duchy of Austria, 
in A.D. 1156, to fill its place among the great European 
powers as the Grand Austrian Empire. The best and 
most fertile districts of the continent were among its pro- 
vincial states. Hungary, Lombardy and Flanders, with all 
their wealth and valor, helped to make up this kingdom. It 
had a population of about twenty -five millions, and a reve- 
nue of ninety-five million florins (about $43,035,000). 
The court of Austria was at that time the most aristocra- 
tic court in Europe. 

Maria Antoinette, of Austria, had united in marriage 
with Louis XVI., of France, which gave Austria a pecu- 
liar interest in the events " which preceded and followed 
the French Eevolution." 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



281 



Military 
strength. 



Austria had great military strength. Her forces num- 
bered two hundred and forty thousand infantry, thirty-five 
thousand cavalry, and one hundred thousand artillery, 



Prussia. 
Origin and 
progress. 



Berlin. 



Konigs- 
berg. 

Frederic 
the Great. 



Forces. 



Russia. 

Its 

progress. 



Peter the 
Great. 



"Prussia had arisen from a small, inferior duchy, which 
existed at the commencement of the eighteenth century, to 
a strong, first-class government, which had been formed 
by the Marquis of Brandenburg, uniting into one the 
Duchy of Prussia and the Marquisette of Brandenburg. 
Brandenburg was another government on the south of the 
Baltic Sea, said to have been about as large as the State of 
Massachusetts. The Marquis prevailed upon the Emperor 
of Germany to recognize the one united government as the 
Kingdom of Prussia, with Berlin (the city which had 
stood as the capital of Brandenburg) for the capital of this 
united kingdom. (Konigsberg was the original capital 
of Prussia.) 

Through the wonderful ability of Frederic the Great 
the military strength of the Prussian kingdom had been 
carried to the highest degree of perfection, until its forces 
numbered one hundred and sixty-five thousand, " in the 
most perfect state of discipline." Thus was Prussia pre- 
pared to act her part in the on-coming struggle. 

Eussia, from the time when John Basilowitz I. threw 
off the Tartar yoke and adopted for himself the title of 
Tzar, or Czar, — which signifies, in the Sclavonic language, 
King, or Emperor, — had been gradually rising in power, 
until she filled the principal part of the North of Europe 
and Asia. 

. The son and successor of the first Czar, Alexis Mi- 
chaelowitz, published the first code of Russian laws. 
He was the father of Peter the Great, whose name is 
familiar to all readers of history, and whose wonderful 
ability in many things has never been surpassed. 

From the days of Peter the Great, through severe 
conflicts with Sweden, with Prussia, and with the Turks, 
Russia had succeeded in qualifying herself to engage in 



282 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



the approaching scenes of bloody warfare. The Empress 
Catharine had, with more than ordinary feminine energy, 
assisted in making this a grand and mighty empire. 



France, 
and its po- 
sition in 
A.D. 1789. 



Statement 
of Louis 
XIV. 



Of 

Louis XV. 



Louis 
XVI. 



Military 
.strength of 
France. 



A.D. 1788 
and 1789. 



France, the country where the storm-cloud of revolu- 
tion was gathering, had been the scene of oppression for 
centuries. The nation existed to do the will of the mon- 
arch, and to bow under his iron hand of tyranny. The 
aristocracy, cradled in luxury and drunken with pleasure, 
monopolized every official position, and considered the 
common people only as a part of the government, neces- 
sary to its support, but who should have no power or 
rights. However much of ability one might possess, he 
could not rise above the position he then occupied unless 
he belonged to the aristocracy ; because office and rank 
belonged exclusively to the nobility. The oppressions of 
what has been termed the feudal tenure, in France, were 
beyond description. " The people were obliged to grind 
their corn at the landlord's mill, to press their grapes at 
Ms j>ress, and to bake their bread in his oven, upon his 
own terms ; " and in many other ways they were oppressed 
and abused, until they resolved to endure it no longer, 
and set the revolutionary ball in motion, which finally 
rolled over the whole continent of Europe. 

Louis XIV. had said, in his tyrannical dignity, before 
the assembled parliament, when mention was made of the 
State : " The State ! Jam the State ! " 

Louis XV., when told that the nation could not endure 
such suffering much longer, had said : " Never mind ; if it 
last my time, it is sufficient for me!" 

Louis XVI., weak and insufficient, came upon the 
throne to -experience the realities of an effort, on the part 
of the abused subjects, to free themselves from the yoke 
of bondage. 

The military strength of France consisted, at that time, 
of one hundred and sixty-five thousand infantry, thirty- 
five thousand cavalry, and ten thousand artillery. 

The years A~D, 1788 and 1789 were marked with ex- 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



233 



Exciting 
scenes. 



Austria's 
demand. 



Thirst 
for war. 
The 
nobility. 



The revo- 
lutionists. 



A.D. 1792. 

War 

declared. 



Aug. 10th 
1792. 
Throne 
overturned 

Sept. 1792 
and its 
scenes. 



Speaker of 

the 

convention 

His 

statements 



citing scenes in that country. The French monarchy began 
to tremble. Re volution had commenced ; and in the midst 
of tumults and commotions, famine appeared ; and, as 
though to add calamity to calamity, a tempestuous summer 
was followed by a most terrible and rigorous winter, re- 
ducing the French nation to such circumstances that the 
nobles began to emigrate, and even Louis XVI. attempted 
to flee. 

Foreign powers began to threaten, and Francis II., 
Emperor of Austria, who sustained a family relation to 
the royal family of France, gathered his armies and de- 
manded the re-establishment of the monarchy upon its 
former basis. All classes in reeling France now thirsted 
for war. The nobility became anxious to regain what 
they had lost, and hoped, with the assistance of other 
aristocratic governments, especially of Austria, to succeed. 

The Revolutionists were thoroughly aroused, and deter- 
mined to contend for their rights, even if it were against 
the armies of all the other nations. 

In A.D. 1792, on the 20th of April, war was declared 
against Austria ; and thus the most bloody and remarka- 
ble war, that had disturbed the world for centuries, com- 
menced. The whole world was affected by it, and un- 
heard-of armies were brought into the field, to contend, 
with fierceness, for disputed rights. 

The memorable 10th day of August, A.D. 1792, dawned ; 
and, ere it closed, the throne of France was overturned, 
and the royal family were taken prisoners. 

The September of A.D. 1792 witnessed the drenching 
of Paris with blood. On the 15th of that month war Avas 
declared against Sardinia, and soon Savoy and Nice were 
united to the French Republic, as the government of 
France had now come to be called. 

The speaker before the assembled Convention, in the 
interests of the Republic, exclaimed : " 'The die is cast !' 
We have rushed into the career ; all governments are our 
enemies, all people are our friends. We must be de- 
stroyed, or they shall be free." The Convention then 



284 



THE WOULD' S GREAT EMPIRES. 



The result. 



A.D. 1793. 



Louis 
XVI. exe- 
cuted, 
aged 
38 years. 

Events of 
A.D. 1770. 
1774. 
1792. 



1793. 

The effects 
of the 
execution 
upon other 
govern- 
ments. 



Blow at 
religion. 



French 
infidelity. 



Quotation 
from Scott. 



proposed, and pledged itself to assist all who wished to 
recover their liberty. 

Geneva surrendered ; Flanders was conquered by the 
French in two weeks' time ; and Austria felt the force of 
their mighty energies as her forces were often driven be- 
fore them. 

In A.D. 1793, on the 21st of January, Louis XYI. was 
executed, and the entire destruction of the old French 
monarchy was accomplished. Louis XVI. was only 
thirty-eight years and five months old when the sad, 
heart-rending scene of his execution occurred. He was 
married to Maria Antoinette April 21, A.D. 1770. He 
was exalted to the throne of France May 10, A.D. 1774. 
He was driven from his throne Aug. 10, 1792, and was 
thrown into prison Sept. 14, 1792, from which he was led 
forth to execution, Jan. 21, 1793. 

Chauvelin, the French Ambassador to England, re- 
ceived immediate orders to leave London, and the French 
declared war against England, Feb. 1, 1793. Universal 
astonishment prevailed. 

As soon as the news of the execution of Louis reached 
the capital of Russia, the Empress Catherine ordered all 
Frenchmen, who would not renounce the principles of the 
revolution, to quit her dominions ; and the courts of St. 
Petersburg and London were united against the French 
Republic and its supporters ; and soon arrangements were 
made whereby nearly the whole of Europe was combined 
to operate against France. 

Beside the destruction of the French monarchy, a fatal 
blow was struck at the religion of France ; and all laws 
which recognized God, worship, priests and altars, were 
abolished, and French Infidelity was established, in all 
its blasphemous authority. "It was not enough," they 
said, "for a regenerate nation to have dethroned earthly 
kings, unless she stretched out the arm of defiance towards 
those powers which superstition had represented as reign- 
ing over boundless space. 1 " Scott, describing those times, 
says : ' ' The constitutional bishop of Paris was brought 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



285 



Goddess of 

Reason. 



Reign of 
terror. 



forward to play the principal part in the most impudent 
and scandalous farce ever enacted in the face of a national 
representation. . . . He was brought forward in full pro- 
cession, to declare to the convention that the religion which 
he had taught so many years was, in every respect, a piece 
of priestcraft, which had no foundation, either in history 
or sacred truth. He disowned, in solemn and explicit 
terms, the existence of the Deity, to whose worship he had 
been consecrated ; and he devoted himself in future to the 
homage of Liberty, Equality, Virtue and Morality. 
. . . The world for the first time heard an assembly of 
men, born and educated in civilization, and assuming the 
right to govern one of the finest of the European nations, 
uplift their united voice to deny the most solemn truth 
which man's soul receives, and renounce, UNANI- 
MOUSLY, THE BELIEF IN, AND WORSHIP OF, 
DEITY. . . . A comedian, Monvel, said : 'God! if you 
exist, avenge your injured name. I bid you defiance ! 
You remain silent. You dare not launch your thunders ! 
Who, after this, will believe in YOUR EXISTENCE?' 
On all public cemeteries the inscription was placed, ' Death 
is an eternal sleep.'" (Scott, Vol. L, pages 17-23.) 

Thus infidelity added its gloomy presence, to increase 
the darkness and terror of those times. Finally, realizing 
the necessity of some form of worship, to hold the infidel 
fanatics in place, they brought a veiled harlot into the con- 
vention. Chaumette took her by the hand and said : 
" Mortals, cease to tremble before the powerless thunders 
of a God whom your fears have created ; henceforth ac- 
knowledge no Divinity but reason. I offer you its noblest 
and purest image ; if you must have idols, sacrifice only 
to such as this." 

Thus the harlot was established as the goddess of rea- 
son. Madame Millard was her name. She was con- 
ducted to the Cathedral of Notre Dame, and elevated upon 
a high altar to "take the place of Deity.'''' All these 
things, together, constituted what has been forcibly termed 
the Reign of Terror. 



286 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Oct. 16. 
Execution 
of M. An- 
toinette. 



Her state- 
ments. 



A.D. 1794. 
Napoleon 
among the 
revolution- 
ists. 



A.D. 1796. 
In com- 
mand of 
forces. 
His work. 



Death of 
Ca htrine. 
Paul 

reigns. 



On the 16th of Oct., 1773, Maria Antoinette, the wid- 
owed queen of Louis XVI., was executed. She was only 
thirty-eight years old. Pale and stricken with grief, she was 
led forth to the scaffold. Her hair, which before was as 
black as a raven, was now as white as snow, adorning her 
young and intelligent brow. She was asked, during the 
scene, if she had anything to say in self-defence, when 
she answered, with the grace of a queen : — 

"Nothing. I was a queen, and you dethroned me; I 
was a wife, and you murdered my husband ; I was a 
mother, and you tore me from my children. Nothing now 
is left me but my blood. Frenchmen, drink it ! — glut 
yourselves with it ! All I ask is, that you will not keep 
me long in pain ; but put a speedy end to my sufferings." 
(Adams' Universal History, vol. 3, p. 246.) 

In A.D. 1794, Napoleon Bonaparte appeared among 
the Revolutionists, at the age of twenty-five years. He 
distinguished himself so much in the interests of the 
French Republic, at the siege of Toulon, that Dugom- 
mier, the commanding general, wrote to the Convention 
concerning him, as follows: "Reward and promote that 
young man ; for if you are ungrateful to trim he will raise 
himself." They regarded the suggestion, and Napoleon 
was elevated to the command of the army. 

In A,D. 1796, Napoleon took command of the forces 
to operate against Italy ; and, as a writer has described it, 
" With an army destitute of almost everything, he overran 
Piedmont, conquered a peace with Sardinia, passed the 
Po, and crossed the Adda, at the bridge of Lodi." Then 
he entered Milan in triumph. The Austrians were de- 
feated at every point, as they attempted to defend their 
Italian interests, and to oppose the French invasion. The 
wonderful success of Napoleon gave him the credit of being 
" the greatest chieftain of his time." 

In the end of the year A.D. 1796, the Empress Cathe- 
rine, of Russia, died ; and Paul succeeded to the throne 
of that empire, which produced important changes in the 
war enterprise. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



287 



A.D. 1797. 
Panic in 
England. 



Napoleon 

against 

Austria. 



His 

success. 



Proposes 
peace. 

Delay. 



Napoleon's 
declaration 



Napoleon 
before the 
ambassa- 
dor. 



His 

conduct. 



In A.D. 1797, a panic occurred in England because of 
threatened invasion by France ; and specie payment was 
suspended by the Council. This suspension was consid- 
ered as a temporary arrangement at first, but it continued 
for about twenty-five years. 

In the spring of 1797, early in March, Napoleon made 
an attack upon the Archduke of Austria, taking him by 
surprise, while he was waiting in the region of the Julian 
Alps for reinforcements. He drove the Austrian forces be- 
yond that range of mountains, and pursued them into their 
own country, pressing forward with his men until his 
forces came in sight of the steeples of Vienna. But that 
energetic warrior, Napoleon, thought it not prudent to 
proceed further. He was unsupported in Austria, and 
Italy was in insurrection. He therefore proposed peace 
to Austria. The Austrians evidently were not disposed 
to respect the proposition. The negotiation was delayed, 
to the disturbance of the impatient French commander, 
until he declared, with energy, "If the ultimatum of the 
Directory is not accepted in twelve hours, I will commence 
hostilities." Hour after hour passed, until the twelfth had 
gone by, and no arrangement had been completed. The 
silent insult, which the Austrians thus gave Napoleon, was 
not to be passed over unavenged. He entered the presence 
of the Austrian ambassador, and, as he entered, his eye 
rested upon a porcelain vase of great value, which the 
Empress Catherine, of Russia, had presented to that am- 
bassador. The Corsican seized it, and declared, as he 
held the precious tpken in his hand : " ' The die is cast ! ' 
the truce is broken ; war is declared ; but, mark my 
words : before the end of autumn I will break in pieces 
your monarchy, as I now destroy this porcelain." He 
then hurled the vase to the ground and dashed it in pieces. 

Then he bowed and retired from the presence of the am- 
bassador, mounted his carriage, and despatched a messen- 
ger to the Archduke of Austria, announcing that "War 
would commence in twenty-four hours." 

The Austrian plenipotentiary was amazed, and decided 



288 



THE WOULD' S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Its result. 

Campo 
Formio. 



Ambition 
and how it 
came. 



Returns to 
France. 
Expedi- 
tion to 
Egypt. 



Advances 
upon the 
Sultan. 



Acre. 



Napoleon's 
statement 
of it. 



to arrange for peace ; and on the day following the famous 
treaty of Campo-Formio was signed, and that expedition 
of Napoleon ended. It was the most remarkable one of 
his whole life. 

Napoleon Bonaparte had now become a mighty and 
ambitious warrior. When he first appeared in the midst 
of the revolution, it was purely in the interest of the op- 
pressed ; but after a time ambition was kindled in his heart 
to become a renowned warrior, and, in Ids own interests, 
to conquer the world, like Alexander the Great, and to 
establish a fifth universal empire, with himself at the 
head of it. The spark of ambition was first kindled in 
this direction, as he proudly crossed the Adda, at bridge 
of Lodi. He afterwards said : "It was after the passage 
of Lodi, that the idea shot across my mind that I might 
become a decisive actor on the political theatre ; then 
arose, for the first time, the spark of great ambition." 

In 1797, after the treaty of Campo-Formio had been 
signed, and the hero had returned to Paris, Napoleon went 
on an expedition into Egypt. At the head of forty thou- 
sand soldiers he sailed from Toulon, and landed at Alex- 
andria. He came in contact with the English fleets, in 
command of Nelson, on his passage there, but escaped in- 
juries. He speedily conquered the land of the ancient 
Pharaohs and Ptolemies. At the battle of the Nile he 
came again in close contact with JSfelson, and suffered con- 
siderable loss. He then planned an expedition into the 
territory of the Sultan of Turkey, on the east of the Med- 
iterranean sea. He coveted the proud capital of the Otto- 
mans, and thought himself able to take possession of it, if 
once his forces could succeed in entering the territory of 
its ruler. 

He turned his steps toward Acre, in Syria, which stood 
as the gateway to the Sultan's possessions ; and as he 
marched with his forces upon that little city, he said to 
Murat : ' ' The fate of the East depends upon yon petty 
town;" and so it proved; and the "fate" of Napoleon 
Bonaparte depended upon it, also. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



289 



Sultan 
prepared 
to resist. 



Napoleon 
defeated. 

His 

statement. 
What lie 
would 
have done. 



Sultan's 
work in 
Egypt. 



Napoleon 
1st consul, 



Nov. 8th 
1799. 

Proposes 
peace to 
England. 



Not enter- 
tained. 



Prepares 
for war 
again. 



The Sultan was prepared to resist the " Storm king; " 
the Russian and English fleets came to assist the Ottoman 
ruler in defence of his government, and they met the in- 
vader at the fate-deciding city. Napoleon was defeated, 
and, for the first time in his career, sounded a retreat. He 
said it was caused by " the mistake of a Captain. Other- 
wise," said he, "Acre would have fallen; I would have 
flown to Damascus and Aleppo ; and, in the twinkling of 
an eye, I would have been at the Euphrates. 1 would 
have reached Constantinople and the Indies, and have 
changed the face of the world." 

But the ' ' mistake " was made ; the signal for retreat 
was given ; Napoleon retired from the field, and returned 
to France, while the Sultan advanced even into Egypt, 
and brought that country under his power, making the 
Egyptians tributary to himself, and obligating them to pay 
a large amount of gold and silver into the treasury of the 
Sublime Porte, annually, beside a large quantity of wheat 
and barley ; and Egypt has continued to the present to 
sustain a tributary relation to the Ottoman empire. Eng- 
land has now, however, a modifying influence in that 
relation. 

When Napoleon arrived in France, in command of the 
forces, he declared himself First Consul, and thus sud- 
denly placed himself at the head of French affairs. This 
was done Nov. 8, 1799. 

On the 25th of Dec, 1799, Napoleon, Consul of 
France, proposed peace with England. But he did not 
choose to observe 'the ordinary rules of negotiation. He 
addressed himself personally to King George III., instead 
of condescending to address Lord Grenville, the Prime 
Minister, as he should have done. His proposition, 
therefore, was not entertained. 

Failing in this attempt, he immediately prepared to 
plunge again into scenes of warfare ; and he again turned 
towards Italy, to complete, if possible, the destruction of 
Austrian holds in that country. That campaign has been 
called the most daring of his life, when he succeeded in 



290 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Crosses 
the Alps. 



Battle of 
Marengo. 

A.D. 1801. 
Peace. 

1802. 

Peace with 
England. 

1803. 
Broken. 



Conspir- 
acy. 

Its results. 



A.D. 1804. 

Communi- 
cation 
from the 
French. 



Empire 
erected. 
Napoleon 
crowned. 



crossing the Alps, and precipitated thirty thousand French- 
men upon the Italian plains, as unexpectedly as though 
they had come down from above. The Austrians were 
cut off, and their retreat from Genoa prevented ; their 
forces were divided, and. Napoleon marched upon Milan, 
leaving the army of the Austrians in the rear. He then 
returned, and gained the victory over them at the battle of 
Marengo. 

At the close of A.D. 1801, all the continental states 
had negotiated peace with Napoleon. 

In 1802 he succeeded in arranging peace with England ; 
but it was of short duration. 

In 1803 the treaty was broken, and France and Eng- 
land were a°;ain involved in war. 

The French seized Hanover, and, out of revenge, 
England blockaded the Elba and the Weser. 

Finally a conspiracy was discovered. An effort was 
being made to deprive Napoleon of his position as First 
Consul ; but this served as a stepping-stone for him to 
mount higher. 

In A.D. 1804, on the 3d of May, Napoleon received 
the following communication from the Senate: "We 
think it of the last importance to the French people to 
confide the government of the Republic to Napoleon Bo- 
naparte — Hereditary Emperor ; " and accordingly, on 
the 18th of Ma}'' the Empire was erected at St. Cloud. 

On the 2d of Dec, 1804, Napoleon was crowned Em- 
peror of France by Pope Pius VII. 

By this means the papacy found another supporter. 
Austria, as we mentioned, had been the sixth power that 
had supported the Papal church, giving to the Pope tem- 
poral power ; but she had ceased to do that w T ork, as she 
became weakened and broken down by coming in contact 
with the Revolutionists ; and it seemed for a time, while 
French infidelity prevailed, that the Pope would never 
find another supporter. But the circumstances grew more 
favorable to him, and at last, as the government of France 
was erected into an empire, and confided to Napoleon 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



291 



Papacy 
finds 
another 
supporter. 

Spain 

against 

England. 



A.D. 1805. 

Treaty 

between 

England 

and 

Russia. 

Battle of 
Austerlitz. 



1807. 

Treaty of 
Tilsit. 



Terms of 
that treaty 



1808. 

Trouble in 
Spain. 



Bonaparte, a supporter was found, and that emperor was 
crowned by the head of the Church, Pius VII. ; and he 
obligated himself to support the Pope. 

Soon Spain declared war against England, because Eng- 
land had seized several Spanish frigates, the cargoes being 
of great value ; and Russia and Sweden became excited 
against Spain, through the influence of England, which 
made the prospects of Spain, for a time, dark and threat- 
ening ; though afterwards these prospects changed, and 
Spain and England were found on friendly terms, as we 
shall see. 

In 1805, April 11th, a treaty, of an offensive and defen- 
sive character, was arranged between England and Russia, 
to prevent encroachments on the part of the French, and 
to secure the co-operation of all the States of Europe. 

In the latter part of the year 1805, the noted battle of 
Austerlitz was fought, between the French and the 
Russians. 

In 1807, June 25th, the Treaty of Tilsit was signed, 
by Napoleon Bonaparte, Emperor of France, and Al- 
exander, Czar of Russia. 

Those two rulers, who had consented to arrange a 
treaty, met upon a raft in the centre of the river Niemon. 
Napoleon came from the west and Alexander from the 
east, to arrange secret terms of agreement, by which they 
were controlled for several years. 

The fact was afterward discovered that they agreed, in 
that treaty, "To unite their forces against England, if she, 
refusing the mediation of Russia, should persist, as she 
had done for ten years, in embroiling the continent in war. 
They also agreed to combine against Turkey, should the 
Porte repel the mediation of France. The two powers 
also engaged, ' Should England refuse peace, unitedly to 
summon Sweden, Denmark, Portugal and Austria, to close 
their ports against English merchandise.'" (J. S. C. Ab- 
bott, in Harper's Monthly Magazine, vol. 7, page 50.) 

In 1808, serious trouble was brought about in Spain. 
Napoleon had, by certain means, got control of the Spanish 



292 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Joseph 
Bonaparte. 



Rebellion. 



Appeal to 
England. 
Response. 



Battles of 
Rolica and 
Vimiera. 

1809. 

Battle of 

Corunna. 

Sir John 

Moore. 

Death 

wound. 

Descrip- 
tion of the 
event. 



Extent of 
his wound. 



throne, and attempted to establish his brother, Joseph 
Bonaparte, King of Naples, upon the vacant throne of 
Spain, and caused him to be proclaimed King of Spain, 
July 20th, 1808. A few of the nobles had been consulted, 
and agreed to Napoleon's arrangement ; but the masses of 
the Spaniards rebelled, and immediately took up arms, 
and bloody scenes of war and assassinations followed. In 
Gallicia the people demanded that their governor should 
declare war against France ; and, because he advised a 
delay, for consideration, they seized him and tortured him 
to death. 

Finally an appeal was made by Spain to England, for 
assistance against the French. England cheerfully re- 
sponded, and sent her troops to operate against the hated 
French, upon Spanish soil. Napoleon immediately marched 
his troops into Spain, to contend for his conquered rights ; 
and many sieges and battles, of a thrilling character, fol- 
lowed, among which was the first siege of Saragossa, 
the battle of Rolica and of Vimiero, all of which occurred 
in the year 1808. 

In 1809, in the month of January, occurred the battle 
of Corunna, in connection with which Sir John Moore, 
in command of the English forces, received his death- 
wound. He had retreated before the French until he 
came, with his troops, near to the city of Corunna, from 
whence he intended to set sail for home ; but the pursu- 
ing enemy pressed so closely upon him that he was forced 
to risk an engagement. While the battle was in progress 
this English commander was struck in the breast by a 
spent cannon-ball. He was thrown from his horse, and 
severely wounded. Full of courage, he immediately 
raised himself to watch the movements of his men ; then 
consented to be carried to the rear, and to allow an exam- 
ination of his wound. One shoulder was broken, and one 
arm hung only by a piece of skin. The ribs of his left 
side were broken, and the flesh torn from them. The 
muscles of his breast were torn into shreds. 

His officers tenderly and tearfully bore his mangled 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE.— DIVIDED. 



293 



Dies 
Jan. 15. 



Chas. 
Wolfe. 



form from the scene of strife, though several times stop- 
ping, at his request, that he might see how his men were 
progressing. He was so cheerful and courageous that they 
hoped the wound was not fatal, and expressed their hopes 
to him, when he looked at the wound for a moment, as 
though wishing for an encouraging feature. He finally 
said:. "No; I feel that to be impossible." His interest 
in the battle continued as long as he could speak. Only 
once did he appear agitated ; and that was when he spoke 
of his mother. He died Jan. 15th, 1809 ; and his offi- 
cers wrapped his military cloak about their noble com- 
mander, and buried him in the Citadel of Corunna, during 
the darkness of the midnight hour, and while the enemy's 
guns were firing around them. 

This scene was the occasion of that beautiful and famil- 
iar poem, written by Charles Wolfe, of Dublin, enti- 
tled, The burial of Sir John Moore. 

Because this poem is so familiar, and because it so 
vividly describes this burial scene, we quote it here, that 
we may more fully realize the event, and better appreciate 
the poem, and the circumstances which occasioned it. 



The poem. 



Not a drum was heard — not a funeral note- 
As his corse to the ramparts Ave hurried ; 

Not a soldier discharged his farewell shot ; 
O'er the grave where our hero was buried. 



"We buried him darkly — at dead of night — 
The sods with our bayonets turning ; 

By the struggling moon-beams' misty light, 
And the lantern dimly burning. 

No useless coffin enclosed his breast ; 

Nor in sheet nor in shroud we bound him : 
But he lay like a warrior taking his rest — 

With his martial cloak around him. 



Tew and short were the prayers we said, 
And we spoke not a word of sorrow ; 

But we steadfastly gazed on the face of the dead, 
And we bitterly thought of the morrow. 



294 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



2d siege of 
Saragossa. 



Battle of 
Talavera, 
Siege of 
Gerona, 
etc. 

Napoleon 
and 

Josephine 
separate. 



We thought — as Ave hollowed his narrow bed, 

And smoothed down his lowly pillow — 
How the foe and the stranger would tread o'er his head, 

And we far away on the billow. 

Lightly they'll talk of the spirit that's gone, 

And o'er his cold ashes upbraid him. 
But nothing he'll reck, — if they let him sleep on ; 

In the grave where the Britons have laid him. 

But half of our heavy task was done, 

When the clock tolled the hour for retiring, 
And we heard the distant, random gun, 

That the foe was sullenly firing. 

Slowly and sadly we laid him down. 

From the field of his fame, — fresh and gory : 
We carved not a line — we raised not a stone — 

But we left him — alone with his glory." 

Shortly after the burial of Sir John, as soon as arrange- 
ments could be completed, the English fleet sailed from 
Corunna toward their home, to meet with misfortunes 
upon the dark waves of the ocean. A terrible storm 
wrecked many of their ships ; and the others, being glad 
to put in at any port, were scattered all along the line, 
and but few of them ever reached British soil. 

In this year, 1809, also occurred the second siege of 
Saragossa, when the city was finally taken, and the vic- 
torious commander, Lannes, rode through its streets, at 
the head of his army, to look upon six thousand unburied 
corpses, lying in his pathway, and to be welcomed by 
sixteen thousand, who, sick and near to death, lay help- 
less in their wretchedness, and by a few famine-stricken 
skeletons, who were more ghastly in appearance than the 
victims of death itself. 

The battle of Talavera, the siege of Gerona, and the 
battle of Wagram under the walls of Vienna, were also 
events of 1809. 

And during this eventful year, that sad and heart-rend- 
ing event of the separation of Napoleon and Josephine, 
took place, by mutual consent, which nearly cost the life 
of both the emperor and the noble empress. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



295 



1811. 

Battle of 
Barossa. 



In 1811, the battle of Barossa was fought; and the 
cruel, barbarous work of the Spanish guerillas was per- 
formed, to the disadvantage of the French. 



1812. 
Invasion 
of Russia 
and 

burning of 
Moscow. 
Descrip- 
tion. 



French 
army. 



Russian 
army. 



Napoleon 
advances. 



In 1812, occurred the invasion of Russia, and the burn- 
ing of Moscow. 

The treaties and agreements which had bound the Czar 
of Russia and the Emperor of France so long had been 
violated, and had become null and void. The demands of 
each upon the other were so great that neither would sub- 
mit to them ; and the time had come when one or the 
other must force his claims and establish his rights. 

On the 23d of June Napoleon, at the head of his 
numerous forces, reached the banks of the Niemon, pre- 
pared to invade the territory of Alexander. 

The whole army of the French emperor numbered one 
million, two hundred and fifty thousand men. The force 
led by him into Russia consisted of six hundred and forty - 
seven thousand one hundred and fifty-eight men, with one 
hundred and eighty-seven thousand, one hundred and eleven 
horses, and one thousand, three hundred and seventy-two 
cannon. 

The army of the Russian Czar numbered in all orAj five 
hundred and seventeen thousand men. The troops sent 
out to resist the invasion of Napoleon consisted of about 
two hundred thousand men, with only about eight hundred 
cannon. 

Napoleon marched into the Russian dominion with his 
prodigious forces; and arrived at Wilna June 28th. The 
Russians retired as he moved on, and destroyed everything 
in their route, thus cutting off all provisions from the in- 
vading army. Hungry and starving the French army suc- 
ceeded in reaching the city of Smolensko, Aug. 15th ; but 
that city was burned by the Russians on the 18th, and the 
poor Frenchmen, weak and famishing, longed for the com- 
forts of home. But their leader pressed forward, and, 
with his ranks greatly diminished by the sufferings en- 
dured, succeeded in reaching Borodino on Sept. 5th, where 



29G 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Battle of 
Borodino. 



Napoleon 
at Moscow 



The ap- 
pearance 
of that 
city. 



Burning of 
Moscow. 



he met the Russians, prepared to oppose his march upon 
their beloved city, Moscow. 

On Sept. 7th the bloody battle of Borodino was fought, 
when fifteen thousand Russians and twelve thousand French- 
men were killed, and about seventy thousand Russians and 
Frenchmen together, were left wounded and bleeding on 
the field at the close of the battle. 

The French triumphed, notwithstanding their loss, and, 
on the 14th of September, arrived at Moscow, the sacred 
city of the Russians, called by them, "Holy Mother 
Moscow." But, as the French troops entered the coveted 
city, toward which Napoleon had led them, in his ambi- 
tion, through scenes of suffering, they found it evacuated. 
No sound greeted their ears. It seemed like entering the 
city of the dead. " The dwellings of three hundred thou- 
sand persons seemed as silent as the wilderness." Napo- 
leon and his men marched through the streets, filled with 
wonder and astonishment. Night came on, and the moon 
sent her pale, unclouded rays to illuminate the deserted 
city, and light up the desolate streets. 

The French officers in search of sleeping quarters, broke 
open the magnificent mansions, and elegant hotels, to find 
everything in perfect order, from cellar to garret ; the 
sleeping apartments, richly furnished, appeared as though 
the careful housewife had just retired from adjusting them. 
But soon the flames began to sweep over that devoted and 
forsaken city. The Russians had bidden their "Mother" 
farewell, leaving officers behind to fire the city, as the 
French should enter it, choosing to yield her to the mercy 
of the flames, rather than to trust her in the hands of 
the foe. 

Some time passed before the devouring fires swept over 
the entire city ; but at last it was enveloped, and an ocean 
of flame dashed its waves in fury over the city of Russian 
pride. Napoleon was forced to retire ; and, looking over 
the burning city in sadness, he said : " This sad event is 
the presage of a long train of disasters." And so it 
proved. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



297 



Napoleon 
retreats. 



A.D. 1813. 
Battle of 
Leipsie. 
Alliance. 



France 
invaded. 



Napoleon, having accomplished nothing by this expedi- 
tion, with his soldiers famishing and disheartened, retreated 
from Moscow on the 19th of Oct. ; and, on the 13th of 
Dec, with a fragment of his army, he crossed the river 
Niemon, en-march for home. 

From this sad defeat Napoleon gradually declined in 
power ; though he made several more desperate efforts 
before he gave up the struggle for supremacy over the 
nations. 

In 1813 Napoleon was again unfortunate at the battle of 
Leipsic, Aug. 18th, and his army forced to retreat to the 
Rhine. Great Britain, Russia, Prussia, Austria and Swe- 
den, being allied against him, their sovereigns published a 
declaration, offering him peace, upon conditions which he 
saw fit to reject. This decided the allies to invade France. 
Wellington was now in the field, and had command of the 
English, Portuguese and Spanish soldiers, to operate 
against Napoleon. Five powers, with all their forces corn- 
Lined, produced an army of one million and twenty-eight 
thousand interested against France and its emperor. Na- 
poleon could not raise more than three hundred and fifty 
thousand soldiers, with which to defend his dominion. He 
had invaded the territory of others ; and now otliers were 
prepared to invade his territory. 

On the 31st of Dec, the united forces crossed the Rhine 
and entered France. Many battles followed. Finally a 
conference was convened, and the united sovereigns offered 
to recognize Napoleon as Emperor of France, if he would 
comply with certain conditions, limiting the boundaries of 
France to a smaller kingdom than he was willing to reign 
over, and thus to conclude peace ; but to this he would 
not consent, and the strife continued. 



Paris 
taken. 
Napoleon 
abdicates 
the throne. 

A prisoner 



On the 30th of March, 1814, the allied forces took Paris. 

On the 11th of April, 1814, Napoleon abdicated the 
throne of France, and April 28th sailed for the island of 
Elba, a prisoner, in the English vessel, "The Un- 
daunted." He was landed at Elba, where it was hoped 



298 



TEE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Escapes. 

1815. 

Napoleon 
again in 
France. 

Conster- 
nation. 



Napoleon 
at the head 
of France. 

Nations 
alarmed. 
The result. 



The result 
of Napole- 
on's abdi- 
cation to 
the pope. 



Most im- 
portant 
alliance. 



Circum- 
stances of 
the allied 
powers. 



"Welling- 
ton and 
Elucher. 



he would be prevented from causing the nations any fur- 
ther trouble. But he finally made his escape. 

In 1815, on the 1st of March, Napoleon Bonaparte 
again stepped upon French soil, where he was enthusias- 
tically received. Acclamations and shouts of joy resounded 
through the land, until consternation prevailed in the 
Court. Louis XVIII., who was in possession of the ab- 
dicated throne, escaped with the royal family from Paris, 
at midnight, March 19th, and fled for safety to Belgium. 

On the 20th of March Napoleon entered the empty 
palace, at nine o'clock in the evening, and stood again at 
the head of France. 

This alarmed the nations, and led to the forming of an 
alliance, which succeeded at last in overpowering the 
" storm king," and in settling the affairs of Europe. 

When Napoleon abdicated the throne of France, April 
11th, 1814, his obligation to support the Pope was can- 
celled, and the papacy was again left to seek for protection 
and support elsewhere. Not quite ten years had elapsed 
since Napoleon was crowned by Pope Pius VII., before 
the Emperor took off the crown and stepped down from 
the throne. 

In 1815, on the 25th of March, England, Austria, 
Prussia, and Russia concluded the alliance which was 
more important than any which had preceded it. They 
enp-aofed to unite their forces against him who had so sud- 
denly and unexpectedly appeared again at the head of the 
French Government. 

Austria, Prussia, and Russia had not sufficient means 
to carry forward this enterprise ; but England had an 
abundance. A treaty was therefore arranged on the 30th 
of April, 1815, whereby England agreed t.o furnish the 
means necessary to prosecute the war which was to 
decide the fate of Europe ; and during that year, 1815, 
she paid fifty-five millions of dollars for that purpose. 

The forces of the allied powers were placed under the 
command of Wellington and Blucher, to operate 
against .the common foe. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



299 



Napoleon 
prepares 
for one 
more effort 



His 

address to 
his soldiers 



Position of 
the allies. 



Napoleon prepared to make one more desperate effort 
for victory. Having gathered his last army about him, 
and being confident of success against the organized foe, 
he addressed his men with enrapturing eloquence, as fol- 
lows, on the 14th of June : — " Soldiers ! this day is the 
anniversary of Marengo and Friedland, which twice de- 
cided the fate of Europe. Then, as after the battle of Aus- 
terlitz, as after the battle of Wagram, we were too gen- 
erous. JVbw, however, leagued together, they aim at the 
independence and the most sacred rights of France. They 
have committed the most unjust aggressions. Let us, 
then, march and meet them. Are not we and they still 
the same men? 

" Soldiers ! At Jena, against these same Prussians, now 
so arrogant, you were one to three ; and at Montmirail, 
one to six. Let those among you who have been cap- 
tives to the English, describe the nature of their prison- 
ships, and the horrible sufferings they endured. The 
Saxons, the Belgians, the Hanoverians, the soldiers of the 
Confederation of the Rhine, lament they are obliged to use 
their arms in the cause of princes who are enemies of 
justice and the rights of nations. They know that this 
coalition is insatiable. After having devoured twelve mil- 
lions of Poles, twelve millions of Italians, one million of 
Saxons, and six millions of Belgians, it now wishes to 
devour the States of rank in Germany. 

"Madmen! A moment of prosperity has bewildered 
them ! The oppression and humiliation of the French peo- 
ple are beyond their reach ; if they enter France, they 
will find their tomb there ! 

Soldiers ! we have forced marches to make, battles to 
fight, and dangers to encounter ; but, if we are firm, vic- 
tory will be ours. The rights, the honors, the happiness 
of the country, will be recovered. To every Frenchman 
who has a heart, the moment has now arrived when he 
should either conquer or die." 

The allied forces were stationed in Belgium, awaiting 
the movements of Napoleon. 



300 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



"Welling- 
ton at 
Brussels. 

Blucher 
and his 
army. 

Arrange- 
ment of 
the forces. 



Napoleon's 
aim. 



His object 
discovered. 



Quartre 
Bras. 



Welling- 
ton and 
his officers 
in the 
ball-room. 



The Anglo-Belgian army, composed of English, Han- 
overians, Dutch and Belgians, numbered seventy-six thou- 
sand men, and, under the command of Wellington, Avas 
stationed at Brussels. 

Blucher, in command of about one hundred thousand 
men occupied Liege, Givet, Charleroi, and Namur. 

These forces were so arranged that the left wing of 
"Wellington's army could easily communicate with the 
risrht wino; of Blucher's. 

It was apparent that Napoleon aimed at Brussels ; but 
from which of four directions he intended to advance was 
a matter of uncertainty, until the morning of the 15th of 
June dawned, when the designs of the French com- 
mander were discovered. It was the purpose of Napo- 
leon to surprise Blucher, and crush his forces, before he 
could concentrate them ; but in this he was disappointed, 
for, as he advanced upon them, he found concentration of 
power sufficient to prevent the accomplishment of his 
designs. His next effort was to prevent Blucher from 
being strengthened by Wellington. He therefore marched 
onward over the main road to Brussels to a place known 
as Quartre Bras, where he halted for the night. At this 
point, the road from Namur to Nivelles crossed the road 
leading from Charleroi to Brussels. 

Napoleon had advanced thus far without the knowledge 
of Wellington, for that English commander was off his 
guard. In the city of Brussels there were many attrac- 
tions, and Wellington and his officers were attracted, until 
they forgot, for the time being, for what purpose they had 
been stationed there. 

On that very night when Napoleon was encamped at 
Quartre Bras, the Duchess of Richmond gave a grand 
ball. Wellington and his British officers were there. The 
hall was brilliantly lighted. People of highest rank and 
beauty, graced it with their presence. All hearts were 
light and gay. Sweet strains of music, rich and full, 
fell upon the ear, and lightly the graceful forms moved 
at its sound, and in an easy and cheerful manner kept 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



301 



What 
followed. 



Byron 
describes 
the scene. 



time with its correctly measured notes. But suddenly, 
in the midst of the dance, an officer in splashed and 
spattered uniform appeared at the door and asked for 
Wellington. Blucher, ever on the alert, had thus sent to 
inform him of the movements and position of Napoleon. 
"Wellington gravely gave directions to one of his staff- 
officers concerning arrangements, and then engaged in the 
pleasures of the evening, as though nothing had occurred. 
But before the dance was over, "The strains of courtly 
music were drowned in the louder notes of preparation. 
The drum had beat to arms, and the bugle summoned the 
assembly, while the Highland bagpipe added its wild and 
martial call to the field." 

The ball ended in confusion ; faces gathered blackness ; 
hasty farewell words were spoken, and friends separated, 
never to meet again. By three o'clock in the morning, all 
was quiet in Brussels, and Wellington with his forces was 
marching toward Quaetee Beas to attack Napoleon. 

Byron has graphically described this scene of the ball- 
room at Brussels on the night of the 15th of June, 1815. 
We quote the poem because of its vivid representation. 
It is familiar, but the circumstances which inspired it are 
not so well known to the people. 

*' There was a sound of revelry toy Bight, 

And Belgium's capital had gathered then 
Her beauty and her chivalry — and bright 

The lamps shone o'er fair women and brave men. 

A thousand hearts beat happily: — and when 
Music arose with its voluptuous swell, 

Soft eyes looked love — to eyes which spake again, 
And all went merry as a marriage beiL 
But hush 3 — Harkl — A deep sound strikes like a rising knell. 

Did ye not hear it? Ho ! 'Twas but the wind, 

Or car rattling o'er the stony street j 
On with the dance 1 Let joy be unconfined ! 

No sleep till mora — when youth and pleasure meet 

To chase the glowing hours with, flying feet. 
But hark ! That heavy sound breaks in once more, 

As If the clouds its echo would repeat; 
And nearer, clearer, deadlier than before; 
Arm 2 Arm I — it is, it is the cannon's opening roar. 



302 



THE WOBLD'S QBE AT EMPIBES. 



Ah ! Then and there was hurrying to and fro, 

And gathering tears, and tremblings of distress : 
And cheeks all pale, which, but an hour ago, 

Blushed at the praise of their own loveliness. 

And there were sudden partings — such as press 
The life from out young hearts, and choking sighs 

"Which ne'er might be repeated : "Who could guess 
If ever more should meet those mutual eyes, 
Since upon night so sweet such awful morn should rise? " 



Welling- 
ton and 
Biucher 
meet to 
plan. 



Important 
battles. 



Biucher 
retreats. 



Welling- 
ton falls 
back to 
Waterloo. 



Wellington arrived in the presence of Biucher before 
daylight, on the morning of June 16th, and they planned 
their arrangements for the day. Napoleon had resolved 
to attack the army of Biucher, while forty-Jive thousand of 
his men under the command of Ney, were to attack the 
army of Wellington. Hostilities soon commenced. The 
principal contest between the army of Ney and that of 
Wellington began about three o'clock in the afternoon. 
On that same night the English commander took Quartre 
Bras. Biucher and Napoleon with their forces fought a - 
severe battle also, and when the night gathered its shades 
around them, five thousand of Wellington's men, twenty 
thousand of Biucher' s, and fifteen thousand Frenchmen 
lay dead upon the field. 

Biucher was forced to retreat ; but he did so in such a 
skillful manner that Napoleon was not aware of his move- 
ments until twelve o'clock on the 17th. 

When Wellington heard that Biucher had retired, he 
fell back with his forces to the plains of Waterloo. On 
that night of June 17th, the English general, with his wea- 
ried soldiers, bivouacked for the night on the spot where 
blood was to be shed the next day in abundance. 

The morning of June 18th dawned at last, and the nu- 
merous troops were soon in motion. Wellington com- 
menced action and Biucher marched to his assistance. 

Napoleon, as he came up, rejoiced to find the allied 
forces there, instead of at Brussels, as he had expected. 
As he saw them in such a favorable position to afford him 
advantage, he exclaimed: "At last I have these English 
in my grasp 



!» 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



303 



Battle of 
Waterloo. 



Victory to 
the allies. 



Europe 
battled for. 
The result. 

Napoleon's 
course. 



Sues for 
mercy. 



Banished. 



Congress 
of nations 
to reorgan- 
ize Europe 



Question 

about 

Austria. 



The conflict commenced about ten o'clock in the fore- 
noon, and continued, increasing in interest and excitement, 
as one point after another was contested, until the final 
moment came, when victory turned on the side of the allied 
powers. At different times, during the awful struggle, 
Napoleon seemed destined to triumph ; but, at last, all 
was staked upon one desperate effort, which proved fatal to 
the ambitious Corsican. It has been forcibly stated that 
' ' Europe was put upon the plains of Waterloo to be 
battled for." It was " battled for," wad. fell into the hands 
of the four allied poviers, on the 18th of June, 1815. 

On the 29th of June Napoleon left Malmaison, and 
reached Rochefort July 3d, from which harbor he intended 
to sail for America. But the English were on the watch 
and determined that he should not escape. At last he re- 
solved to cast himself upon the mercy of the English gov- 
ernment ; and, on July 14th, he sailed on board the " Bel- 
lerophon" for England. But the mercy he sought so 
eagerly was not granted. In a little while he was cruelly 
banished to the island of St. Helena, where he spent the 
remainder of his days in exile. 

When Napoleon Bonaparte, the " Storm King," had 
been fully overcome, and the winds of war, which had 
been sweeping over the territory of Europe for more than 
twenty years, had ceased to blow, the congress of nations 
assembled at Vienna for the purpose of reorganizing 
Europe. 

While the matter of reorganization was under considera- 
tion, a question of grave importance was raised with refer- 
ence to Austria. That government, though one of the four 
which were finally combined against Napoleon, was not a 
first-class power at that time, and had not been since it was 
weakened and demoralized by coming in contact with the 
Revolutionists, as, in their fury, they operated against it. 

Now the question arose, Shall Austria be reorganized, 
and made a first-class power? After much discussion, it 
was decided to reorganize Austria, and restore it to a first- 
class power, also to reorganize Italy with its ten divisions, 



304 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Austria to 
be reor- 
ganized. 

Italy also. 

The final 
result. 



The 10 
Italian 
states. 



J. S. C. 

Abbott's 

description 



Europe re- 
organized. 



Alliance 
continued. 



Its object. 



and place it under the dictation of Austria, thus restoring 
that government to all its former glory. 

Austria was reconstructed. Italy was reorganized, and 
ten divisions appeared in that country as before, now 
known as the ten Italian States, and all were placed 
under the power of Austria. 

The names of these ten Italian States are as follows : Sar- 
dinia, Lombardy, Parma, Modena, Tuscany, San Mo- 
rino, States of the Church, Lucca, Naples, including 
Sicily and Monaco. (See Butts' History of Italy, p. 
473.) 

These Italian States were all placed, with their rulers, 
under the control of Austria. 

John S. C. Abbott, in his History of Italy, on page 
540, says, with reference to that country, that by this con- 
gress of nations assembled at Vienna in 1815, "Every 
privilege which the Italian people had gained in the line of 
popular rights was taken away from them ; and they were 
delivered back, bound hand and foot, to their old masters. 
The whole peninsula became virtually but a province of 
Austria ; nearly all its departments governed by Austrian 
princes, or by those who acknowledged their dependence 
upon Austrian armies, to hold the restive people in sub- 
jection." 

This congress of nations succeeded at last in reorjjaniz- 
ing Europe ; and, having adjusted the affairs and allotted 
to the principal governments their territory and dominion, 
the four great powers, England, Austria, Prussia 
and Russia, continued their alliance, for the purpose of 
keeping the balance of power, and thereby to pre- 
serve the peace of Europe ; and from 1815 to the pres- 
ent, these four allied powers have continued the alli- 
ance, and have controlled the affairs of Europe. Every 
war question has been settled by the congress of these 
nations, or so hushed and quieted as to prevent any great 
commotion. 



After Austria was restored to her former position as a 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



305 



Pope again 
supported 
by Austria 



Concordat. 



Abbott's 
description 
of the 
Papal gov- 
ernment. 



Pius VII. 

and 

Austria. 



first-class government, and Italy was placed again under 
the control of that power, the Pope of Rome, who had 
been deprived of a supporter when Napoleon Bonaparte 
abdicated the throne of France, found another supporter in 
the Emperor of Austria, Francis I. The States of the 
Church, in which Rome was located, was restored to the 
Pope, Pius VII., and a concordat was arranged and signed 
by the emperor, whereby he was obligated to support the 
Pope, in his position, still at the head of Church and State. 

The population of that division of Italy over which the 
Pope ruled, known as the States of the Church, was 
about three millions, and his standing army, when this ar- 
rangement was completed, and " with which," as Abbott 
says, " the vicar of Christ kept his subjects in subjection, 
amounted to fifteen thousand two hundred and fifty-five 
infantry, and thirteen hundred and fifty cavalry." (His- 
tory of Italy, page 539.) 

As this Papal power was thus re-established, and appears 
supported by Austria the second time, we give another 
quotation from J. S. C. Abbott, which clearly explains 
the position of the Pope, and what constitutes the papal 
government. He says: "The Pope is an elected sove- 
reign, chosen by the sacred college, which consists of sev- 
enty cardinals. This number of cardinals is instituted in 
imitation of the evangelists sent out by our Saviour. 
When any vacancy occurs in the college it is filled by the 
appointment of the Pope, who acts without control. When 
the Pope dies, for nine days his body lies in state, during 
which time one of the cardinals, called the Cardinal Cham- 
berlain, officiates as Pope. The body is then buried ; and 
the cardinals meet in a private room in the Vatican to 
choose, out of their number, a successor. A majority of 
two-thirds is essential to a choice The power of the Pope 
is absolute. It is one of the leading principles of his gov- 
ernment that all civil offices should be filled by priests." 
{Hist, of Italy, p. 539.) 

Pope Pius VII. having been thus reinstated, and Aus- 
tria having taken her position the second time as the prin- 



306 TEE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 

cipal supporter of the Papal government, that Pontiff, 
exercising absolute power over the States of the Church, 
upheld by Austria, continued to reign until his death, 
which occurred April 20th, 1823. 



Death of 
Napoleon 
Bonaparte. 



McLellan. 



In 1821, on the 5th of May, while Pius VII. was upon 
the throne at Home, Napoleon Bonaparte died in exile, 
on that lonely island of St. Helena, where he had re- 
mained from the time of his banishment. He died in the 
midst of a terrific storm, while the angry waves of the 
ocean were dashing and foaming in fury against that dreary 
isle. In his dying hour he seemed to be living his event- 
ful life over again ; for, while unconscious of everything 
that was transpiring around him, he uttered such words of 
military order and command, that his few cherished friends 
who were by his side, saw that, in his dreams, he was 
again at the head of his forces, and engaged in all the 
exciting scenes of war and conquest. 

Isaac McLellan, in his poem entitled, "The Death 
of Napoleon," has very thrillingly described the scene ; 
and, after having become so thoroughly acquainted with 
the life and work of this noted Corsican, and given atten- 
tion to the principal battles which he fought, we are pre- 
pared to appreciate the stirring representation given by 
that poet. We therefore introduce the familiar words, 
which come to us with deeper meaning than ever before : 



Poem. 



"Wild was the night ; yet a wilder night 
Hung round the soldier's pillow ; 

In his bosom there raged a fiercer tight, 
Than the fight on the wrathful billow. 



A few fond mourners were kneeling by ; 

The few that his stern heart cherished ; 
They knew by his glazed, and unearthly eye, 

That life had nearly perished. 



They knew by his awful and kingly look, 

By the order hastily spoken, 
That he dreamed of the days when the nations shook, 

And the nations' hosts were broken. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 307 

He dreamed that the Frenchman's sword still slew ; 

And triumphed the Frenchman's eagle; 
And the struggling Austrian fled anew, 

Like the hare before the beagle. 

The bearded Kussian he scourged again ; 

The Prussian's camp was routed ; 
And again, on the hills of haughty Spain, 

His mighty armies shouted. 

Over Egypt's sands, over Alpine snows, 

At the Pyramids, — at the mountain, — 
Where the wave of the lordly Danube flows, 

And by the Italian fountain, — 

On snowy cliff's where the mountain streams 

Dash by the Switzer's dwelling, 
He led again, in his dying dreams, 

His hosts, the broad earth quelling. 

Again Marengo's field was won ; 

And Jena's bloody battle ; 
Again the world was overrun ; 

Made pale at his cannon's rattle. 

He died at the close of that darksome day, 

A clay that shall live in story ; 
In the rocky land they placed his clay, 

" And left him alone with his glory." 

Thus ended the history of one who had stirred the world 
with his movements, and who had caused the thrones of 
the greatest monarchs to tremble and reel as their occu- 
pants seemed destined to fall beneath his power. 

Why did he not succeed in becoming a universal mon- 
arch, as he desired, when others, with no more ability and 
energy than he possessed, had four times accomplished 
that feat and stood at the head of the world ? This ques- 
tion, of so much importance, will be answered before we 
arrive at the conclusion of these lectures. We therefore 
leave the defeated monarch to rest in his grave, and wait 
with interest to learn why he was doomed to fill the grave 
of an exile, rather than the tomb of the World's monarch. 

Leo xii. Leo XII. succeeded to the head of the Papal govern- 



308 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



1823. 

Crowned. 

Dies. 

Pius VIII. 

1829. 

Dies. 



ment in 1823, on the death of pope Pius VH. 
crowned Pope Sept. 28th of that year. 
He reigned until 1829, when he died. 



He was 



Pius VIII. was then elected Pope on the 31st of March, 
1829, and continued in office only one year and eight 
months, and died. 



Gregory 
XVI. 

1831. 



Pius IX. 



Born 1792. 

Elected 
Pope 1846. 



Gregory XVI. succeeded to the office of Pope Feb. 2d, 
1831, and reigned until 1846. 

Pope Pius IX., Gregory's successor, and whose name is 
fresh in the minds of all as the predecessor of the present 
Pope, Leo XIII., was born May 13th, 1792. 

In 1846, June 16th, he was elected Pope, and was 
crowned on the 21st of June, that same year. 



Here it is necessary to give attention to some more 
events of interest concerning Austria, Italy and France, 
which are intimately connected with the Papal government 
and its ruler, the Pope. Then we shall be prepared to 
trace the history of Pius IX. to its close, and to appreciate 
the position of his successor, Pope Leo XIII. 



Austria 
continues 
to control 
Italy to 
1853. 



Efforts to 
throw off 
the Austri- 
an yoke. 



Position of 
the nations 



Austria continued to control the Italian States, and in 
maintaining in them absolute power, executed through the 
ten kings, which represented her in those States, from 1815 
to 1853, before any one of them succeeded in extricating 
itself from her dictation ; but, during those years, several 
desperate efforts were made in the different States to throw 
off the Austrian yoke. 

These efforts were made by the people, who, clamoring 
for liberty, sometimes compelled their local ruler to rebel 
against Austria ; but Austria had the sympathy of Eng- 
land, Prussia and Russia ; and, though England did not 
dare to send her forces to assist Austria in quelling rebel- 
lion in Italy, she encouraged Prussia and Russia to do so ; 
and, with the assistance of those powers, Austria was able 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE.— DIVIDED. 



309 



Pius' am- 
nesty proc- 
lamation. 



to crush the rebellious parties, and keep them in submis- 
sion, until, finally, Victor Emanuel, King of Sardinia, 
succeeded in extricating Sardinia from Austrian rule, and 
it became an independent government, which was fully 
accomplished in 1853. 

In 1846, July 18th, only a few weeks after the accession 
of Pius IX. to the Pontifical throne, that Pope issued an 
amnesty proclamation to all political offenders who were 
imprisoned, and liberated thereby about three thousand 
persons, among whom were men of ability and rank. 
When liberated, they appeared in the presence of the Pope 
as he stood upon a balcony of his palace, and expressed 
their gratitude while he gave them his blessing. 



1848. 

Revolu- 
tionary 
spirit in 
Rome. 



Count 
Rossi 
killed. 



Pope a 
prisoner. 



Flees to 
Gaeta. 



Napoleon 

III. 

Cavignac. 



In 1848, on the 15th of Nov., some parties possessed of 
the revolutionary spirit in Rome, and from the different 
Papal States which constituted the dominion of the Pope, 
made an effort to revolutionize the government and to 
compel the Pope to sanction it. They killed his prime 
minister, Count Eossi, plunging their daggers into his 
heart, and frightened his Deputies from the Chamber. 
On the day following, these revolutionary despots forced 
their passage into the presence of the Pope, with a list of 
the names of several of their own number, whom they 
compelled him to appoint as his ministers. 

By this act the Pope was divested of power and made a 
prisoner in his palace ; but through the assistance of Count 
Spaur, the Bavarian minister, he succeeded in making his 
escape, and fled in disguise to Gaeta, and left Rome in 
the possession of the Revolutionists. 

This event occurred Nov. 24th, 1848, just one month 
before Napoleon III. was elected President of France. 
General Cavignac, then Dictator or the French 
Government, became very much alarmed on account 
of the movements in Rome, and the flight of the Pope. 
He knew that Austria would appear upon the scene as 
ever before, to re-establish her rights, and reinstate the 



310 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Offers the 
pope an 
asylum. 

Political 
policy. 



Cavignac's 
course. 



Result of 
his efforts. 



Napoleon. 



President 
of France. 
Pius at 
Gaeta. 



Austria's 
move- 
ments. 



Pope ; and he reasoned that if Austria should succeed, 
every government in Europe would feel the pressure of 
absolute principles, and all efforts for popular reform 
would be crushed. This French Dictator, therefore, being 
in favor of liberal principles, immediately offered Pius 
IX., the exiled Pope, an asylum in France. 

This was a political-policy-movement, as Abbott says, 
" in order that the papal government might be brought 
under the influence of the liberal policy of France, rather 
than under the domination of the absolutism of Austria.'' 
(Hist, of Italy, p. 575.) 

Cavignac was in great haste to move in this matter ; 
for he said : ' ' If we allow Austria time to go to the Eter- 
nal City, it will be, in the first place, a very serious injury 
to French influence in Italy. It will insure the re-estab- 
lishment of absolutism at Rome, as in the time of Gregory 
XVI. Let us then intervene ourselves, that the cabinet 
of Vienna may not acquire an undue influence in Italy, 
and that we may prove a safeguard to Roman liberty." 
(Abbott's Hist, of Italy, p. 575. See MM. Gallix et 
Guy, p. 197.) 

These efforts of the French Dictator to persuade the 
Pope to accept his propositions proved fruitless ; for Pius 
IX. was not disposed to give up the support of Austria 
and his love of absolute power in the Papal States, for the 
liberalism of France, the spirit of which actuated the Rev- 
olutionists, who had been the means of his exile. 

Shortly after this, Napoleon III., the son of Louis Bo- 
naparte and Hortense, — the daughter of Josephine by her 
first husband, having succeeded in gaining the sympathies 
of the French people, was elected President of France. 

Pope Pius IX. was still at Gaeta and had removed his 
court from Rome to that town, which was "the first on 
the Neapolitan frontier ; " and there he was recognized by 
all the principal powers of Europe, and still had the sym- 
pathy of Austria, as the agreement had never been broken. 
Austria had just raised a large army, and was prepared to 
take steps toward the replacing of the Pope upon the 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 311 

throne in Rome, when the newly elected President of 
France sought to possess himself of that city ; and, under 
a pretended regard for the Pope, to give him a name to 
reign, while actually the liberal principles of France were 
against the power that Pontiff loved to exercise so well. 
mentsof ^ e ' Napoleon HI., therefore sent an army of three 

Napoleon, thousand five hundred men, under the command of Oudi- 
not, into the Papal Dominions, expecting the hearty co- 
operation of the insurrectionists ; but those who had been 
the leaders in the Ee volution, resisted his troops, closed 
the gates of Rome against them and gave them battle, 
fully determined to maintain their own usurped power in 
that government. The French general, with his forces, 
was driven back and forced to send for reinforcements, 
much to the disappointment of Napoleon, who desired to 
take Rome ; and, while he placed the Pope nominally upon 
the throne, to base his rule upon more liberal principles. 

The Austrian forces were approaching to establish the 
Pope in his position as before the insurrection ; but the 
French forces were reinforced, and at last succeeded in 
entering Rome, and claimed to reinstate the Pope ; but, 
notwithstanding Pius IX. returned to Rome, April 20th, 
1850, and found the French troops ready to support him, 
there were never any writings of agreement made, whereby 
Napoleon III. was recognized as the actual supporter of 
the Papacy. He never was crowned by the Pope, though 
he tried to prevail upon the Pontiff to crown him Emperor 
of France, as his* uncle had been crowned before him. 
But he failed in this, because the Cardinals said that the}'' 
were more safe under Austrian protection than they 
would be under the French ruler ; and during all the 
time of Napoleon's pretended support, Austria was 
really recognized by the Pope and his cardinals as the 
principal supporter of the Papacy ; and after a time 
the Concordat between Pius IX. and Austria was 
made stronger than ever before, and the government of 
Austria continued to be the recognized supporter of the 
Pope until 1870. 



312 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES, 



Napoleon 
and the 
kin,? of 
Sardinia. 



Victor 
Emanuel. 
Kingdom 
of Italy. 



1869. 

Ecumeni- 
cal council 



Number of 
members. 



Number 
present 
opening 
and close. 

Claims to 

be 

infallible. 



Action. 



After Sardinia had broken away from Austrian rule, in 
1853, as we have noticed, Napoleon, having failed to sup- 
plant Austria in relation to the Pope, joined with the 
Kins: of Sardinia to assist in liberating other Italian 
States from the power of Austria ; and through their 
united efforts, and because of other circumstances which 
proved favorable, all the States of Italy were liberated 
from the control of Austria, except the Papal States, and 
united under Victor Emanuel as the Kingdom of Italy. 
They greatly desired Eome, the " Natural Capital of 
Italy," to be the capital of their kingdom ; but that still 
continued under the power of Austria, notwithstanding 
the French troops were within the city. Nothing' was 
favorable to Rome ever becoming the capital of Italy, in- 
dependent of the Pope, until 1870, when the desired 
object was finally accomplished in a very remarkable man- 
ner, as we shall see. 

In 1869, on the 8th of Dec, the last Ecumenical 
Council that has ever assembled in the interests of the 
Roman Catholic Church was convened under the juris- 
diction of Pope Pius IX., and continued its session until 
Oct. 20th, 1870, — a period of ten months and twelve 
days. 

Ten hundred and thirty-seven persons were entitled to 
seats in the Council, but the seats were never all filled at 
one time during the convention. 

Seven hundred and nineteen were present when the 
Council opened and five hundred and thirty-five when 
it closed. 

The Pope claimed to be infallible, and his object in 
calling this Council was to establish his infallibility. 

"When action came to be taken upon the question that 
should decide the matter, whether he, that " would-be- 
god," was infallible ; four hundred and fifty-one voted for 
the dogma, sixty-hoo voted on conditions, and eighty-eight 
voted against it. 



TEE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



313 



Declared 
infallible. 
1870. 



The majority having voted in his favor, Pius IX. was 
declared infallible by that Council, July 16th, 1870. 



Desired 
display. 



But the passing of the dogma of infallibility by the 
Council did not fully satisfy this aspiring Pope. He wished 
to make a grand display that should impress all with the 
fact that he was actually what the Council had declared 
him to be ; and that he was even recognized in heaven, 
by the God whom he claimed to represent, and whose 
attribute he had so blasphemously appropriated to himself. 



Attempted 

Proves a 
failure. 



Cnm- 
ming's de- 
scription. 



He made the wonderful attempt upon a grandly magni- 
ficent scale, but he failed to produce the desired effect, 
because God frowned in indignation upon the scene, in- 
stead of approving it. 

This remarkable attempt and significant failure occurred 
July 18th, 1870, two days after the dogma was passed by 
the Council, and was described by Dr. Cumming, of Lon- 
don, soon after, in the following graphic language : 

"After the majority vote declared him infallible, the 
Pope had a grand throne erected in front of the eastern 
window in St. Peter's, and arrayed himself in a perfect 
blaze of precious stones, and surrounded himself with 
Cardinals and Patriarchs and Bishops, in gorgeous ap- 
parel, for a magnificent spectacular scene. 

" The great decree of infallibility was to be read. 

' ' He had chosen the early morning hour and the eastern 
window, that the rising sun should flash its beams full 
upon his magnificence, and by it his diamonds, rubies and 
emeralds, so refracted and reflected, that he should appear 
to be, not a man, but what the decree proclaimed him, one 

HAVING ALL THE GLORY OE GOD. 

' ' In this fulness of splendor, with his illustrious digni- 
taries about him, and a vast throng assembled to witness 
the pageant, the Pope posted himself, at an early hour, 
before the eastern window, and awaited the essential efful- 
gence of the king of day. But the king did not appear. 
The sun refused to shine. The dismal dawn darkened 



314 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Despatch 
of war to 
Berlin. 



Germans 

against 

France. 



rapidly to a deeper and deeper gloom. The dazzle of 
glory could not be produced. The aged eyes of the 
ivould-be god could not see to read by daylight, and he 
had to send for candles. Candle-light strained his nerves 
of vision too much, and he handed the reading over to a 
Cardinal. The Cardinal began to read amid an ever-black- 
ening gloom ; but had not read many lines before such a 
glare of liquid fire, and such a crash burst forth from the 
inky heavens, as never was heard at Rome before. Ter- 
ror fell upon all. The reading ceased. One Cardinal 
jumped trembling from his chair, and exclaimed, ' It is 
the voice or God, speaking the thunders of Sinai ! ' " 

On the very day that this grand and awful scene oc- 
curred in St. Peter's Cathedral, Napoleon III. de- 
spatched his celebrated declaration of war to Berlin. 

On the 19 th of July the Germans declared war against 
France. 



French 

troops 

leave 



Pope to be 
without a 
supporter. 



Cum- 
in ing's de- 
scription. 



On the 4th of August the French troops began to 
evacuate Rome, because Napoleon needed all his forces to 
operate against Prussia, in what was, finally, the Franco- 
Prussian war. 

The time had now come when the Pope, who had made 
such a mighty effort to establish his infallibility, was to be 
left without a supjwter. Not because the French troops 
were called from Rome, but because Austria, the real 
supporter, had become disgusted with the foolishness of 
Pius IX., concerning the infallibility question, and refused 
to support him longer. Dr. Cumming describes the posi- 
tion and conduct of Austria, with reference to this matter, 
as follows •: — 

"Austria, even, long the the dungeon of Europe, always 
tlie guardian of the Pope, when no one else could be found 
to support him, shocked at the Pope's assumption of an 
attribute of Deity, tore the Concordat into shreds and cast 
it to the winds^ and renounced the Pope's jurisdiction in 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED, 



315 



Napoleon's 
position. 



Austria, root and branch. Then Austria passed a law 
granting liberty of the press, liberty of conscience and 
freedom of education, throughout the length and breadth 
of the land." 

This act of Austria was done during the month of Au- 
gust, and while Napoleon, who would gladly have em- 
braced the opportunity to have placed himself in the long- 
coveted position of the real supporter of the Pope, had his 
attention called in another direction, and was so involved 
that he could not fly to the rescue of the Pope. He could 
not even support himself in his position. 



He surren- 
ders. 



On the 2d of Sept., Napoleon surrendered at Sedan. 



Italian 
troops en- 
ter Rome. 



On the 20th of Sept., the Italian troops entered Rome, 
at ten o'clock in the forenoon, for the purpose of making 
that long-coveted city the capital of Italy, independent of 
Papal rule. 



Vote to re- 
nounce the 
temporal 
power of 
the pope. 



Oct. 2d, the Italians voted to renounce the temporal 
power of the Pope. 

That vote stood forty thousand eight hundred and thirty- 
five, against forty -six ; and thus his temporal power was 

TAKEN AWAY FOREVER. 



Italian 
decree. 



The Pope's 
condition. 



On the 1st of Nov., 1870, the following decree was 
passed by the Italian government : — 

' < All the political authority of the Pope and the Holy 
See is abolished, and will remain so. The Pope will be 
entirely free in the exercise of his ecclesiastical rights, 
which he now possesses as the supreme chief of Catholi- 
cism, and will enjoy all the honors and liberties which con- 
stitute sovereign prerogative. The appendage of his holi- 
ness and his court shall be furnished by Italy, which also 
assumes the debts hitherto contracted by the Pontifical 
States." (Abbott's Hist, of Italy, p. 619.) 

Thus the Pope was divested of temporal power, and only 
allowed to exercise his ecclesiastical authority, under the 



316 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



dictation of the Italian government, with Victor Emanuel 
at its head, and the city of Home for its grand capital. 

From that time Pius IX. was virtually a prisoner in 
Rome, that city which had so long bowed under the sway 
of the Pontifical Sceptre. 



Protestant 
church in 
Rome. 



Quotation 
from a 
Catholic 
writer. 



Jan. 12th, 1871, a Protestant church was opened in 
Rome, and since that time more than forty Protestant 
chapels have been opened for worship in that city. 

In a work entitled, " A comparison between the His- 
tory of the Church and the Prophecies of the 
Apocalypse," page 30, the following questions by an able 
Catholic writer, with reference to the pope, are found: — 

' ' Has not the best beloved and most revered man in all 
the world — the Holy Father Pius IX. — been a virtual pris- 
oner in his own Vatican palace since Sept., 1870? And 
have not the last remains of his temporal sovereignty been 
treacherously robbed from him by the crowned revolution- 
ists ? " Thus showing that the Catholics themselves recog- 
nized the fact that the Holy Father was a prisoner, with 
his temporal power all gone. 



Pius IX. 
dies 1878. 



Leo XIII. 
born 1810. 



Made Pope 
1878. 



From 1878 
to the 
present. 



Pius IX. continued in this unpleasant condition until 
Feb. 7th, 1878, when he died, and was succeeded in his 
Pontifical prison by another, who to-day mourns because 
of his imprisonment in the Vatican. 

Leo Xni., the present Pope, was born on the 2d of 
March, 1810. 

He was elected the successor of Pius IX. Feb. 20th, 
1878, and was crowned Pope on the 3d of March following. 

From 1878 to the present he has been at the head of the 
Church, but has exercised no temporal power. 

He feels sad and disconsolate, and often appeals to the 
Catholic people to pray for his liberty. 



1881. 
Oct. 16. 



Oct. 16th, 1881, two thousand pilgrims went to visit the 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



317 



Power 
gone. 

Mayor's 
statement. 



Pope, and, in St. Peters, received his blessing, while 
they cheered him in an enthusiastic manner. But when 
they came forth from that Cathedral they were met by a 
company of roughs, who exclaimed, ''Down with the 
Vatican ! " 

How unlike the former times, when it would have been 
death for one to have offered the least insult to the Pope, 
or to his Palace ! 

But his power is gone, and he is bitterly hated by the 
Italians. 

The Mayor of Rome has recently said that he would 
rather " See Eome in ashes, than to see it again under the 
power of the Popes." 



Present 
condition 
in the west 

Turn to 
the east. 



We have thus come to realize the present condition of 
things in the western division of the Roman Empire ; and 
now we turn again to the east, to notice the present con- 
dition of things in that division, and to inquire into the 
circumstances which have been instrumental in producing 
this condition, which now attracts the attention of the 
world. 



Eastern 
question. 



" The Eastern Question" is the great question of the 
times. But it has so many features, involves the interests 
of so many nations, and is viewed from so many different 
standpoints, that, unless one is thoroughly posted, it is 
difficult to understand it. 



Its origin. This question originated more than a hundred years 

ago ; and Constantinople — the grand capital of the eastern 
division of the Roman Empire, and which has been under 
the power of the Turks since A.D. 1453 — is its central 
point, and is the foundation of all its peculiar phases. 



Position of As we have noticed several times before, this City of 

nopie. an l ~ Constantine is more favorably located for a grand seat of 

empire than any other in all the world ; and, because of 

this fact, the nations of Europe have eagerly desired to 



318 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Russia. possess it. And the rulers of the Russian empire have 

specially desired to get possession of it, and have manoeu- 
vred to accomplish that end through all these years. 



Her 
position. 



Black Sea. 



Bosphorus 



Hellespont 

Darda- 
nelles. 



Mediterra- 
nean. 

Atlantic. 

Gibraltar. 

Desirable 
route. 



Humilia- 
ting 
situation. 



Russia's 

great 

reason. 



This vast Empire, filling the north of Europe and Asia, 
has always labored under disadvantage, from the fact that 
her only controlled access to the ocean for commercial 
purposes, is through the Baltic and North seas, and the 
greater part of the time the passage of these seas is so block- 
aded by ice that navigation is impossible. 

The Black Sea, which lies as the southern boundary of 
the Russian Empire, is about seven hundred miles long 
and three hundred miles wide ; and this great inland ocean 
is connected with the Sea of Marmora by the beautiful 
Straits of the Bosphorus, which are fifteen miles in length, 
on the western shore of which the coveted City of Con- 
stantinople stands. 

The Sea of Marmora, which is one hundred and eighty 
miles long and sixty miles wide, is connected with the 
Great Mediterranean Sea, by the Strait of the Helles- 
pont. This is now called Dardanelles, because of four 
stout Turkish forts, which are located at their mouth, bear- 
ing that name. 

Through the Mediterranean Sea, which is two thou- 
sand two hundred and fifty miles in length , there is access 
to the Atlantic Ocean, by the Straits of Gibraltar. 

By this desirable route, Russia finds conveniences and 
advantages which she can find nowhere else. She can now 
sail through with her vessels by permission of the Sultan, 
who has power to cut off her passage at anytime, while he 
holds the reins of government in Constantinople. 

It has been humiliatinar and disadvantageous to the Rus- 
sian Empire to be thus situated ; and, for more than one 
hundred years, an effort has been made to get possession 
of Constantinople and to make it the Southern Capital of 
Russia. 

No other nation has had so much reason for desiring 
possession of this city as the Russian ; and while it is 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



319 



Others 
oppose. 



The 

objection 

raised. 



evident that others do not care so much about possessing 
it for themselves, they are determined that Russia shall 
never succeed in her efforts. 

All are more or less opposed to the Turk, and would be 
glad to have him driven out of Europe ; but are afraid 
of the results, as Russia would be likely to get possession 
of Constantinople as soon as the Ottoman Empire should 
become dismembered. 

The objection raised to giving Russia this long-desired 
city, is expressed as follows : — 

" Russia, in possession of the imperial city, and of the 
straits which lead to it, would be invulnerable, and could 
bid defiance to combined Europe; the Black Sea would be- 
come an impregnable harbor ; its shores a navy-yard, 
which no fleet or army could penetrate." (Abbott's Prus- 
sia and the Franco-Prussian War, p. 210.) 



The differ- 
ent nations 
and their 
course. 



Napoleon 
Bona- 
parte's 
plan. 



The different nations, seeing this advantage which Rus- 
sia would gain by coming in possession of Constantinople, 
have hesitated to act against the Turks, as they have really 
had a heart to do, and even sometimes stood Avith the 
Sultan against Russia, when their hatred of that autocrat 
and his government has been bitter enough to have an- 
nihilated him, and to have broken down his dominion, 
could they have done it to their own advantage. But, as 
the circumstances have been, they have, "of two evils" 
chosen " the least," and have tolerated the " Sick man of 
Turkey," who is comparatively powerless to do them 
harm, rather than to give the "Great Russian Bear" 
the advantage by allowing him possession of Constanti- 
nople. 

Napoleon Bonaparte acted upon this plan of opposing 
Russia's possession of Constantinople, when he refused to 
entertain certain propositions made by Alexander, in 
which that Czar proposed to the French Emperor that 
they unite their forces to drive out the Turks, and then 
divide the territory of the Ottoman Empire among them- 
selves. But the Czar was careful to designate as his oivn 



320 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Evident 
from an 
answer to 
Dr. 
O'Meara. 



The 
answer. 



Russia 
seeks the 
co-opera- 
tion of 
England. 



Victoria. 
Windsor 
Castle. 



The propo- 
sitions. 

Russia's 

share. 

England's. 



Austria's. 



Proposi- 
tions 
rejected. 



portion that part which included Constantinople, leaving 
Napoleon without choice in the matter. 

This appears in the answer which Napoleon gave to a 
question asked him by Dr. O'Meara, Feb. 14th, 1817, 
while he was in exile. The Dr. asked: "Is it true that 
the Czar of Russia intends to seize Constantinople ? " He 
answered : — 

' ' All his thoughts are directed to the conquest of Tur- 
key. We have had many discussions about it. At first I 
was pleased with his proposals, because I thought it would 
enlighten the world to drive those brutes, the Turks, out 
of Europe ; but when I reflected upon the consequences, 
and saw what a tremendous weight of power it would give 
Eussia, on account of the number of Greeks in Turkish do- 
minions who would naturally join the Russians, I refused 
to consent to it, especially as Alexander wanted to get 
Constantinople, which I would not allow ; for it would de- 
stroy the equilibrium of power in Europe." (Abbott's 
Prussia and the Franco-Prussian War, p. 212. Foot-note 
citation to Napoleon at St. Helena, p. 451.) 

Russia having thus failed in her eflbrts with Napoleon, 
and in every other way, to get possession of the coveted 
city, sought the co-operation of England ; and, in the 
month of June, 1844, Czar Nicholas held an interview 
with Queen Victoria, at Windsor Castle, and proposed 
that they co-operate in driving the Turks from Eu- 
rope, and then, that they divide up the Ottoman territory 
as follows : Russia to have the provinces of Moldavia, 
Wallachia, Bulgaria and Romalia, thus bringing Con- 
stantinople into his possession, while England was to have 
the Island of Cyprus and all of Egypt, which was thought 
by the Czar to be a great inducement to the Queen, be- 
cause it would give England better access to her Indian 
possessions. Beside this, Austria, situated so close to the 
Ottoman territory, was not to be forgotten, but to receive 
that portion of the dominion bordering on the Adriatic 
Sea, and thus settling the great Eastern question. 

But these propositions were rejected by England and 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



321 



Reason 
why. 



The Czar 

attempts 
to force 
demands 
upon the 
sultan. 



The course 
pursued. 



Feb. 28, 
1853. 



Austria, for the same reason which we have noticed be- 
fore, because they would give too much power into the 
hands of the Russian ruler. Abbott asks, "Why did not 
England and Austria consent to this division of European 
Turkey ? " and then gives the following significant answer 
to the question. He says : — 

" It was because this arrangement would make Russia 
so powerful that she would be the undisputed monarch of 
the Eastern world. The balance of power in Europe would 
be destroyed, and Russia would attain a supremacy before 
which all other European powers would tremble." (Prus- 
sia and the Franco- Prussian War, p. 215.) 

The Czar having failed in all these diplomatic efforts 
with the different nations, to gain possession of Constanti- 
nople, he resolved to accomplish his object by forcing de- 
mands upon the Sultan, which finally resulted in bringing 
about the Crimean war. 

He sent Prince Menschikoff, the Russian ambassador, 
to Constantinople, for the purpose of announcing his 
claims, and forcing compliance. This ambassador arrived 
in the imperial city, Feb. 28th, 1853, and, on the 2d of 
March he held an interview with the Grand Vizier, who 
sent him to the Reis Effendi, — the Minister of Foreign 
Affairs. The Reis Effendi was very stubborn, and per- 
sisted in opposing the propositions of Russia, until Men- 
schikoff refused . to hold any further conversation with 
him. 

Because of the existing circumstances, and what he con- 
sidered to be the unreasonable demands of Russia, the 
Reis Effendi, though said to have been "One of the 
ablest men in Turkey," resigned his position, and was suc- 
ceeded by one who was inferior to him in ability to 
operate in the interests of the government. 

With this newly-appointed officer, the Russian ambassa- 
dor found less difficulty in presenting the propositions of 
the Czar. He was thoroughly furnished for his work, 
having in his possession an " autograph letter" from the 
Czar, which gave him authority to treat any refusal, on 



322 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



April 19. 
Demands 
made. 



1st 
demand. 



2d demand 



3d demand 



Sublime 
Porte re- 
fuses to 
yield. 



Russia's 
motives. 



Russia's 
position 
stated as 
follows. 



the part of the Sultan or his officers, to accept the propo- 
sitions made, as a personal insult to that Czar, Nicholas, 
himself. 

On the 19th of April the following demands were pre- 
sented by the Russian official to the Sublime Porte, in a 
very haughty and dictatorial manner : — 

First. "A definite firman," or decree of the Porte, 
was demanded, "securing to the Greek Church the cus- 
tody of the key of the Church of Bethlehem ; and of the 
Silver Star, pertaining to the altar of the Nativity ; of the 
grotto of Gethsemane, with the admission of the Latin 
priests thereto, for the celebration of their rites ; and the 
joint possession, by the Greeks and Latins, of the gardens 
of Bethlehem." 

Second. "An immediate order," on the part of the gov- 
ernment, was required, "for the thorough repair of the 
cupola of the temple of the Holy Sepulchre, to the satis- 
faction of the Greek Patriarch." 

Third. "A guarantee " was demanded, " for the main- 
tenance of the privileges of the Greek Church in the East, 
and of those sanctuaries already in the exclusive possession 
of that Church, or shared by it with others." {Europe 
and the Allies, 2d part, p. 33.) 

To these demands the Sublime Porte refused to yield, 
as they would destroy the independence of that govern- 
ment, and virtually bring it. under the dictation of Russia. 

This course was evidently resorted to by the Russian 
ruler to provoke the Sultan, and to find occasion to de- 
clare war against him, with the prospect of taking the 
City of Constantinople by force of arms ; but this he wished 
to keep secret until the moment came for him to act, so 
that other powers could not have time to interfere, and 
frustrate his plan. 

The following extract from a letter written by Prince 
Lieven to Count Nesselrode, concerning this matter, 
clearly shows Russia's position to have been what we have 
already stated it was. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



323 



England 
and 
France 
assist the 
Sultan. 



Abdul 
Medjid. 



Sultan de- 
clares war 
against 
Russia. 



Oct. 8, 
1853. 



Lieven says: "Our policy must be to maintain a re- 
served and prudent attitude, until the moment arrives for 
Russia to vindicate her rights, and for the rapid action 
which she will be obliged to adopt. The war ought to take 
Europe by surprise ( f ) Our movements must be prompt, 
so that the other powers should find it impossible to be 
prepared for the blow that we are about to strike." 
(See ^Europe and the Allies, part 2d, p. 34.) 

Notwithstanding this caution, however, England and 
France became apprised of the intentions of Russia, and 
began to prepare to defend the Ottoman Empire against 
the aggressor. And to assure the Sultan of their sincerity 
in this matter, they sent their united fleets to anchor in 
Besika Bay. 

The Sultan, Abdul Medjid, did not wish to involve his 
people in war, and sought, by every means possible, to 
avoid it, but all to no final purpose. 

Russia continued to aggress, until the Sultan finally de- 
clared war against that gigantic power. The proclamation 
declaring war was made to the inhabitants of Constantino- 
ple, Oct. 8th, 1853. They had been eagerly waiting for 
liberty to fight against the hated Russians, and needed no 
urging to rush forward to the field of battle. 



Turkish 

troops. 

Condition 

of the 

Ottoman 

empire. 

Reason- 
ings of 
men. 



The 

Sultan's 
move- 
ments. 



The Turkish troops were more numerous than Russia had 
anticipated they could be. The Ottoman Empire had been 
in a weakened condition so Ions; that this declaration of 
war against Russia astonished the nations. 

Men had reasoned, as they saw the provocations of the 
Czar, that the Sultan would never be imprudent enough 
to contend in battle with one so much stronger than him- 
self ; and when, finally, having become thoroughly aroused, 
he so suddenly declared war, and hastily advanced upon 
the enemy, not even waiting for his supporters to accom- 
pany him, but anxious to engage in the contest, his forces 
pushed forward, leaving those who had pledged to him 
their assistance to follow in the rear, they said that he 



324 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Their 

comments. 

Success. 



Russia 

feels the 
pressure. 



Crimean 
war. 

1854. 



Lord 

Raglan. 

M.St. 

Arnaud. 

Defend the 

Turk. 

Their 

object. 

Sebastopol 
Its loca- 
tion and 
position. 



Pop. 40,000 



An army 
of 50,000 
men land 
on the 
Crimea. 

Battle of 
Alma. 
Siege of 
Sebastopol 
etc. 

Russia to 
wait still. 



acted " like a sick man seized with an insane fit." But 
more marked success crowned his efforts than was ex- 
pected ; and when the combined forces of England and 
France came to his assistance, forbidding Russian ships of 
war to sail the Black Sea, Russia began to feel the press- 
ure, and trembled while she made a desperate effort to con- 
tend for her claimed, but disputed, rights. 

The great Crimean War thus ensued. 

In March, 1854, Turkey, England and France were 
at war with Russia, and Austria and Prussia were not 
indifferent, though they wisely kept themselves aloof from 
participating in the war, because of personal interests. 
They endeavored at first to negotiate between the con- 
tending parties, and then, failing in that, left the burden 
of responsibility upon England and France, as they were 
willing to bear it. 

Lord Raglan commanded the English forces, and Mar- 
shal Arnaud the French forces. These two experienced 
generals resolutely pressed forward in defence of the 
Turks, not because they wished to help the Sultan, but to 
prevent Russia from getting Constantinople. 

Sebastopol was the seat of Russian power, on the Black 
Sea. This city was located on the south side of the 
Crimea, and was very strongly fortified. It was more 
properly a fortress, and its inhabitants were principally in 
the employment of the Russian government. Its popula- 
tion was about forty thousand. 

On Sept. 14th, 1854, an army of fifty thousand men 
landed on the Crimea, about twenty-five miles north of 
Sebastopol, which city they were bent on destroying. 

The battle of Alma, the siege of Sebastopol and the 
battle of Balaklava and of Inkerman followed, resulting 
in victory to the allied forces, against Russia, leaving that 
Power to wait on, still longer, before getting possession of 
the desired city of the Sultan. 



Loss of life 

Haifa 

million. 



In this Crimean war the loss of life was immense. 

It is estimated that about half a million of men were slain. 



THE BOMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



325 



Loss of 
each na- 
tion esti- 
mated. 



The occa- 
sion. 



The Duke 
of Argyle's 
excuse 



stated. 



Eussia lost about two hundred and fifty thousand; 
France, one hundred and seven thousand; Turkey, about 
one hundred thousand; England, over fifty thousand ; and 
Sardinia, which was involved in the conflict, lost seven- 
teen thousand. 

All this to save the Ottoman empire from the power of 
Eussia ; for this was the one great object of those who 
assisted the Turks, by contending against Eussia. 

The Duke of Argyle and other members of that gov- 
ernment said, by way of excuse for the course pursued by 
the allies against Eussia : — 

" We did not wish to save Turkey, whose decay and fall 
were plainly inevitable ; but, recognizing this fact, and 
knowing that the place of the Turks must be occupied by 
some power, we wished to prevent Russia from prema- 
turely deciding the question in her ovm favor. "We sought 
to establish the principle that the fate of Turkey was a 
matter of European, and not merely of Russian, concern." 
(1 9th Century, p. 31 ; foot-note.) 



Congress 
of nations 
meets to 
adjust the 
affairs. 



Eastern 
question 
still un- 
settled. 
The effect 
upon Eu- 
rope Asia 
and Africa. 

The allied 
Powers, 
and their 
efforts and 
success. 



The great Congress of Nations then, in 1854, met, 
and arranged peace ; circumscribing the rights and privi- 
leges of Eussia and of Turkey, and so, apparently settling 
the Eastern question. But soon it became evident that 
the difficult question was not settled. It is still an open 
question, and has. kept Europe in an unsettled state from 
that time to the present, and the interests of Asia and 
Africa, as well as of Europe, have been affected by it to 
an alarming extent. 

The four allied powers have used their influence to 
keep the surface of the political waters smooth, while 
foaming and surging has continued below it. Whenever 
trouble has broken out, and angry winds have disturbed 
the surface-calm, their Congress has assembled and hushed 
the winds into silence. This was not only true at the close 
of the Crimean war, but it met to adjust the war question 
when Austria, France and Sardinia engaged in that 
bloody conflict which bid fair to involve all the nations in 



326 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Evident 
prospect of 
a mighty- 
struggle. 



"War in 

Egypt 
makes it 
more cer- 
tain. 



one general struggle ; and then, again, it met to hush the 
rising storm, when war was threatened between Turkey 
and Greece, and succeeded in quieting affairs for the time 
being. 

But it is evident that, before the Eastern question is 
settled, the different nations who have interests involved 
in connection with Constantinople and its ruler, will be 
obliged to contend for their rights, in one mighty strug- 
gle; and every time war has broken out upon the territory 
of the old world since the close of the French revolution, 
they have been carried one step in advance toward the 
threatened conflict, which shall thus involve them in a gen- 
eral WAR. 

Even the recent war in Egypt has made it more appar- 
ent, that such a prospect awaits the nations, and it did 
much to prepare the way for the final struggle. 



The rela- 
tion of 
Egypt and 
the late 
war to the 
Eastern 
question. 

Egypt un- 
der the 
Sultan. 



Title of 
Khedive. 

Khedive, 
no inde- 
pendence 
till 1841. 
Limited 
indepen- 
dence. 



Still vassal 

The Khe- 
dive's 
proceed- 
ings. 



The consideration of the relation of Egypt to this ques- 
tion involving the late Egyptian war, is now necessary, 
from this fact. 

Egypt was brought under the power of the Sultan, as 
we have noticed, soon after Napoleon Bonaparte was de- 
feated at Acre, in A.D. 1797. 

From that time the rulers in Egypt have been appointed 
by the Sultan of Turkey. They now bear the title of 
Khedive. 

Those rulers had no power independent of the Sultan 
until 1841. In that year the Sublime Porte gave limited 
independence to the Khedive, allowing him to issue bonds, 
and to introduce improvements into Egypt, without con- 
sulting the government at Constantinople ; but the Egyp- 
tian rider was still a vassal of the Sultan. 

Taking the advantage of the power given into the hands 
of the Egyptian ruler, the Khedive began to introduce 
modern improvements into the land of the pyramids. He 
had not sufficient means to accomplish all that he desired 
in this direction. The Egyptian government, therefore, 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



327 



Capitalists 
requested 
to loan 
money. 

English 
and 
French 
respond. 

$575,000- 
000. 

Large part 
is spent 
foolishly. 



Building of 
the Suez 
Canal. 
Supported 
by French 
capitalists. 
M. F. De- 
Lesseps. 
Proposed 
to build it 
in 1854. 
Completed 
in 1869. 
Extends 
from Port 
Said to 
Suez 
Harbor. 



The Isth- 
mus is 95 
miles wide. 

The Canal 
is 96 7- 
lOths miles 
long. 

328 ft. 
wide on the 
surface. 
72 to 100 ft. 
at the 
bottom. 
26 ft. deep. 

Cost $80,- 
893,665. 

Suez Canal 
Company. 

Shares 
owned in 
England. 



requested capitalists, wherever they might be found wil- 
ling, to loan Egypt money, with which to improve her 
condition. This request was heeded by capitalists in Eng- 
land and France ; and they readily responded to the call, 
and loaned the Khedive what finally amounted to five hun- 
dred and seventy-five millions of dollars, thinking to re- 
ceive large interest on their great investments. 

A large part of the money was foolishly expended, al- 
though some marked and important improvements were 
introduced. 

The building of the Suez Canal was one of the principal 
tilings to which the Khedive gave his attention, he being 
supported in that enterprise by French capitalists. 

The proposition to build the canal was made to the Khe- 
dive by M. Ferdinand de Lesseps, in 1854 ; and the 
work was completed in 1869, about fourteen years being 
devoted to the building of it. 

This canal extends from Port Said to Suez harbor, 
connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Ked Sea, and 
thus opening a passage through to India ; as the Red Sea 
is connected with the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean, by 
the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb and the Gulf of Aden. 

The Isthmus of Suez is ninety-five miles wide in a direct 
line. 

The Canal is ninety-six and seven-tenths miles in length, 
from harbor to harbor. It averages three hundred and, 
twenty-eight feet in width on the surface, and from seven- 
ty-two to one hundred feet at the bottom. 

Its depth is no less than twenty-six feet at any point. 

This wonderful passage is estimated to have cost eighty 
million, eight hundred and ninety-three thousand, six hun- 
dred and sixty-five dollars. 

The Canal is now owned by the Suez Canal Company, 
which is a French corporation. But a large part of the 
stock is owned in England ; and England thereby finds 
direct and convenient access to her possessions in India. 



Beside the building of this Canal other things were done 



328 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Other 
improve- 
ments. 

Alexan- 
dria and 
Cairo. 



for the improvement of Egypt. Railroads were con- 
structed, and modern improvements were introduced into 
the cities of Alexandria and Cairo, until they presented 
the appearance of civilization and modern enterprise. 
Pleasant avenues, beautiful palaces and elegant residences 
adorned them, and even street cars furnished conveniences 
to the public, which had been unknown before. 



The capi- 
talists 
afraid. 



Request 
England 
and France 
to assist 
them. 

Congress 
of nations 
authorize 
them to do 
so. 



The Khe- 
dive obsti- 
nate. 



Deposed. 

Present 
Khedive 
succeeded. 
His course. 



English 
and 

French de- 
mands. 



1325 

European, 
officers 
appointed. 
Their sala- 
ries. 



But the money furnished by the English and French 
capitalists for these purposes, not all being used to the 
best possible advantage, caused them to fear that they 
should not be able to collect their interest, and, much 
more, their principal, as they had already had some trouble 
in that direction. 

They therefore requested England and France to compel 
Egypt to pay her debts, according to promise. 

The matter was brought before the Congress of Nations, 
that it might be decided whether these governments had a 
right to enforce the claims of their capitalists upon the 
Egyptian government, when it was decided that they 
would be justified in so doing, and should be sustained in 
their efforts by the Allied Powers. 

They then commenced operations ; but the Khedive, 
who was then on the Egyptian throne, refused to submit 
to their demands. 

The Sultan then deposed him ; and his son, Tewfek, the 
present Khedive, succeeded him. Before the son was 
crowned, however, he agreed to use his power in the in- 
terests of England and France, and to allow them to dic- 
tate in these affairs. 

They then demanded the right to appoint officers to at- 
tend to their interests, who should have power to impose 
taxes upon the Egyptians, and to collect them, to pay the 
great national debt. 

These officers were appointed from among the Europe- 
ans, and numbered, in all, thirteen hundred and twenty-five. 

Some of them received a salary of twenty thousand dol- 
lars a year ; others received smaller amounts. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



329 



$1,868,520. 



Europeans 
exempt 
from taxa- 
tion. 

Egyptians' 
taxes $8 
per acre. 

The inter- 
est paid. 

Egyptians 
disturbed. 



Cry, 

"Egypt for 
the Egypt- 
ians." 



Their united annual receipts amounted to one million 
eight hundred and sixty-eight thousand Jive hundred and 
tiventy dollars. 

All Europeans residing in Egypt were exempted from 
taxation, while the, poor Egyptians were sorely oppressed. 
The taxes levied upon them amounted to eight dollars an- 
nually for every acre of their land. 

The interest on the great national debt was paid regu- 
larly up to the breaking out of the late war ; but the Egyp- 
tians became disturbed by the constant oppression, and 
because their country was actually ruled by foreigners, 
who were enjoying special privileges and controlling most 
of the money, while they themselves were bearing burdens 
which with crushing weight were pressed upon them by 
these foreign usurpers. 

The oppressed therefore began to cry, " Egypt for the 
Egyptians," and soon organized a National party, which 
began to clamor for " Home-Eule." 



Arabi 
Pasha. 

Home-rule 
party. 



Chamber 
of notables 
1882. 



Financial 

question 

discussed. 

Opposition 

Arabi's 
position. 



Press the 
point. 



Arabi Pasha appeared at the head of this Home-Eule 
party of Eevolutionists. He claimed to be an Arab, and 
was about forty years of age. He had been a Bey, or 
Colonel, in the Turkish army. 

This Home-Eule leader convened an assembly in the 
interests of reform in Egypt, called the " Chamber of No- 
tables." This assembly met in the winter of 1882, by the 
consent of the Khedive, who did not dare to oppose Arabi. 

The foreigners raised no objection to this assembly until 
it was found that the financial question was being dis- 
cussed ; then the English and French began to interfere, 
and forbade the discussion of that subject. 

Arabi consented not to meddle with the main points of 
the "Financial Commission," but contended that the Egyp- 
tians had a right to raise the money, and make their own 
appropriation of it, instead of foreigners being appointed 
to control this matter. 

Arabi and his associates pressed this point, until the 
Khedive was compelled to proclaim this new financial 



530 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



It is pro- 
claimed a 
law. 



Efforts to 
kill Arabi. 
Mob in 
Alexan- 
dria. 



Things 
grow 

worse and 
worse. 
War 

breaks out. 
Sultan's 
position. 



arrangement as the law of Egypt ; which was followed by- 
diplomatic manoeuvrings on the part of England, France, 
Turkey and others, while several attempts were made to 
destroy the life of Arabi. Then some of his opponents 
were banished, and that terrible mob against the foreign- 
ers occurred in Alexandria, which resulted in the death of 
hundreds of people. 

Thus things continued to grow worse and worse, until 
the war broke out in all its fury, in connection with which 
the Sultan of Turkey acted a deceptive part ; really favor- 
ing and encouraging Arabi, while he appeared to be co- 
operating with England. 



War 

progresses. 

The 

prospects. 

The 

Sultan's 

intentions. 

England 
anxious to 
possess 
Egypt. 
France 
ambitious 
to control 
it. 



The other 
govern- 
ments and 
their 
position. 



Omens of a 
general 



Prince 
Bismark's 

statement. 



The war progressed, threatening, for a time, to involve 
all nations. 

The Sultan, though acting deceitfully and keeping his 
motives out of sight as far as possible, really desired and 
intended to retain his hold on Egypt. 

England was anxious to possess it, because through 
that land lay her " Great highway to India." 

France was ambitious to control it, because she had 
interests in Northern Africa, along the shores of the Med- 
iterranean Sea, west of Egypt, which were really involved 
in the destinies of that land. 

The other governments of Europe were opposed to 
allowing either England or France to have peaceable pos- 
session of the Egyptian territory. 

Russia, Germany, and Italy were specially interested in 
the matter, but were not in harmony with each other, any 
more than they were with England and France ; and thus 
the prospects were threatening, and the circumstances 
ominous of a general struggle, in which each should be 
found contending for personal interests. 

That such a dark prospect was before these nations, is 
evident from a statement made by Prince Bismark, before 
the German Parliament, when the news of the bombard- 
ment of Alexandria reached Berlin. He said : " The hori- 
zon of Europe is being threatened by a rising cloud." 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



331 



Quotation 
from the 
Bosto7i 
Globe. 



A writer in the Boston Globe, soon after the first shock 
was felt as the Egyptian war opened, said : — 

" Circumstances seem, indeed, to point as they have be- 
fore, to possible antagonisms, which may develope into war 
between the great powers ; but the restoration of order in 
Egypt is a primary duty. After that is accomplished, the 
difficulty will really begin in the settlement of the future 
status of the Khedive's dominions. . . . 

" From this summary it will be seen, that the materials 
for a first-class explosion in Europe and Asia are all at 
hand, and the compound is likely to be mixed. The pos- 
sibilities may be set down as the chance of rupture with 
England and France, a disruption of the Turkish Empire, 
a general scramble for the ' remains ' of the ' sick man,' 
and a general quarrel arising out of the scramble." 



The war- 
cloud 
assumes a 
religious 
aspect. 



Quotation 

to the 
point. 



The war cloud that was gathering in blackness over these 
nations not only had a political appearance, but it assumed 
a religious aspect; and a " holy war," wherein the Mo- 
hammedan would be arrayed against the nominal Christian 
world, began to be expected and dreaded. As evidence 
of this, we quote the following, which was clipped from a 
reliable secular paper in July, 1882. It is entitled "A 
holy war," and reads thus : — 

' ' Will Arabi become the leader of the murder and mas- 
sacre of Christians, and the raising of the Moslem standard 
by the most warlike leader which Islam has known for cen- 
turies? What can these things portend but the much- 
dreaded holy war, — not so terrible a disaster, perhaps, as 
it was in the days of Amurath, but still most danger- 
ous and ill-omened ? Perhaps the peril is not imminent ; 
but it certainly exists ; and a ' holy war ' is serious busi- 
ness. It means a contest in which all who believe in the 
dogmas of Mohammed, must range themselves under the 
banner of the Prophet, and do battle against the world of 
other faiths. It will be of interest, therefore, to glance 
over the field and see what forces can be rallied to the flag 
of Islam, should the call be sounded. Mohammedanism 



332 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



against Christianity ? One is apt to say, without thinking, 
that the odds are all on one side, and that the adherents of 
the Prophet are comparatively few, and cannot easily be 
roused to unite in support of a decadent faith. But the 
facts tell another story. A holy war, enlisting one hun- 
dred million of fanatical religionists, would be the most 
serious trouble which Christendom has had to face since 
the middle as;es, when crescent and cross struggled for the 
supremacy in Europe." 



Another 
quotation. 



And again, a writer who was qualified to judge of these 
matters, said : — 

" One may, perhaps, assume that the Mohammedans in 
the dominion of Russia in Asia, would be debarred from 
joining in a great uprising, because of their surroundings ; 
nevertheless, the government of the Czar would no doubt 
have abundant occupation in repressing sedition among the 
subjects of the faith of Islam, should the holy war be 
preached indeed. It is not Russia, however, but Great 
Britain, that would have greatest need of watchfulness 
and anxiety in the event of such disaster. For in the 
wonderful land of India, over which Victoria rules as Em- 
press, there are at least forty millions of Mohammedans in 
the provinces under British administration." 



France 
retires. 

Mystery 
made plain 
France 
em har- 
assed. 



England 
contends. 



When this religious aspect became so threatening, 
France suddenly retired from the field, and refused to co- 
operate with England against Arabi Pasha. 

At first it was a mystery win' she did so ; but soon the 
matter was made plain. France was embarassed on ac- 
count of her possessions in Africa, because the inhabitants 
were principally of the Mohammedan faith ; and, in case 
of a " holy war," Tunis and Algeria would require a very 
large force to keep them in subjection ; so when France 
saw that there was a prospect of such a war, she concluded 
to withdraw from the field and leave England to contend 
alone. 

England contended, until finally Arabi was defeated at 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE.— DIVIDED. 



333 



Arabi 
defeated. 

"War ends. 

Eastern 

question 

more 

unsettled. 



Statements 
of an 
English 
writer. 

Quotation. 



Stirring 
news from 
different 
sources. 



Tel-el-Kebar, and taken prisoner; and finally he was 
sentenced to a life of exile on the island of Ceylon. 

The war ended, but the Eastern Question was more un- 
settled at its close than it was at its commencement. The 
nations had only been carried another step in advance 
toward the final issue which threatened them. There has 
been a lull, but it is evidently only a calm before a more 
terrific storm. 

In 1882, soon after the defeat of Arabi, a well-informed 
English writer made the following statements concerning 
this matter : — 

"There is uneasiness, unrest, and a fixed conviction 
that great events are at hand. The desire for nationality 
prevails in many of the countries of the Ottoman empire ; 
a great and remarkable revival is taking place everywhere 
among the Mussulmans, which is in danger of involving 
the whole Eastern world in a holy war. 

Neither the French occupation of Tunis, nor the British 
conquest of Egypt, is likely to quench the smouldering 
embers that are ever ready to burst into a flame. In truth, 
the disaster to the arms of Arabi Pasha may only arouse 
the Mohammedans of Asia and Africa, and pave the way for 
events of even greater import than those now transpiring 
in Egypt." 

Soon the stirring news came that the whole Mohamme- 
dan world was enraged against Christian England because 
of Arabi's defeat ; and, in the midst of the excitement 
which prevailed, information was received that El Mehdi 
— claiming to be that prophet whom Mohammed himself 
had prophesied should finally appear to deliver his people 
and defend their religion — was advancing from Soudan at 
the head of all the able-bodied men of that country, toward 
Cairo, which city he was determined to reach by fighting 
his way through, being reinforced by cannibal tribes from 
Central Africa ; and that he had fought seven battles with 
the Egyptian army, in which the Egyptians had lost eight 
thousand men. And then the news came that Obeidullah, 
the Kurdish chief, and head of all the orthodox Moham- 



334 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



The 

Arabian 
and 

Turkish 
Moham- 
medans. 



Three 
Arab 
chiefs. 



El Mehdi. 
Obeidullah 
Chief in 
North 
Africa. 



Obeidullah 
and his 
followers. 



Other 
events of 
equal 
import in 
Russia. 



Armenian 
question. 



Quotations 



medans in that region had raised an army and fought a 
great battle with the troops of the Sultan and defeated 
them, destroying two thousand men. The occasion of this 
contest and warfare between these classes of Mohamme- 
dans is, that the Arabian Mohammedans have been opposed 
to the Turkish Mohammedans for years, claiming that the 
title of Caliph should be bestowed upon an Arab, and a 
descendant of Mohammed, instead of a Turk being allowed 
to wear it, as has been the case specially since A.D. 1453. 

And now there are three Arab chiefs who claim to be 
descendants of Mohammed, and thereby to be entitled to 
the caliphat title. 

El Mehdi is one, Obeidullah is another, and the third is 
a chief in the North of Africa ; and each of them has been 
raising armies and preparing to contend for their rights, 
and, also, to oppose the Christians ( ?) who have invaded 
their territory. 

Obeidullah and his followers were very indignant at the 
course pursued by the Sultan and the Khedive co-operating 
Avith England, and thereby causing the defeat of Arabi, in 
the Egyptian war ; because, by that disaster to Arabi's 
forces, the Egyptian nation was brought under the control 
of Christians instead of Mohammedans. 

While these events were transpiring among the Moham- 
medans, others of equal import were occurring in connec- 
tion with the movements of Russia. 

The effort to concentrate Russian troops on the frontier 
of Armenia was being urged forward by the Czar, in a per- 
sistent manner. 

The following items, published in Nov., 1882, clearly 
reveal these facts, and explain the object of these move- 
ments on the part of Russia : — 

' ' The concentration of Russian troops on the Armenian 
frontier is still being actively pushed forward by the gov- 
ernment of the Czar. A very considerable force is thus 
available to overrun Asia Minor, as soon as Russia shall 
consider the occasion opportune." 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



335 



Close of 
1882. 

Opening of 
1883. 



Midnight. 



Gam- 

betta's 
death. 



Its effect 

upon 

France. 



Gam- 

betta's 
position. 



Germany 
rejoices. 



France 
exposed to 
troubles. 

A stirring 
cry. 

Jerome 
Napoleon. 



" The belief is current that the Russians are preparing 
to march to Ezroum and Van. Turkish troops are con- 
centrated at Van, and four more battalions have been or- 
dered thither. The town of Bitles, sixty miles west of 
Van, has been destroyed by fire." 

" In view of possible contingencies, Russian troops are 
now assembling for the purpose of taking care of Constan- 
tinople." 

While these ominous events were occupying the atten- 
tion of statesmen, politicians and religionists, the year 1882 
closed, and the events of 1883 began to open up before us 
in a most stirring manner. 

At the midnight hour, just as we were passing from the 
last moment of 1882 to the first of 1883, the government 
of the French republic received a fearful blow. Leon 
Michael Gambetta, the most eminent politician and 
greatest statesman of that government, died, and went out 
with the old year ; and France, trembling with agitation 
and shrouded in gloom, was left to greet the new year in 
sadness. 

Gambetta was in the prime of life. He was only forty '- 
jive years of age when the fatal pistol-shot destroyed his 
future prospects, and left the French Republic in a dan- 
gerous condition. 

Germany rejoiced at the news of his death ; for since 
1870 Gambetta had been a terror to that government, and 
his movements had been watched with jealousy. But 
while the peace of Germany was better secured by his 
death, the Republic of France, of which he was the soul 
and heart, was exposed to trouble and commotion ; and 
soon there rang out on the ears of the French people the 
cry, "Le Roi est mart; vive le Roi," — " Gambetta 
is dead ; long live Jerome Napoleon," and that mem- 
ber of the Napoleonic family, Jerome Napoleon, although 
over sixty years of age, bid for the office of French ruler 
as the successor to Gambetta ; and an effort was thus made 
to re-establish the Napoleonic Dynasty in France. His 



336 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



What has 
followed 
the procla- 
mation. 



Prospects 
dark. 



Item from 

Montreal 

Witness. 



Quoted. 



reasons for so doing he boldly and clearly stated, reveal- 
ing the condition of the French nation to be critical 
indeed. 

This proclamation of Napoleon has been followed by 
arrests, a "Civil war organization" and the "Catholic 
Alliance ; " and France occupies to-day an unenviable 
position because the condition of her internal interests, 
and externally in the relation she holds to other govern- 
ments, wherein her prospects are dark and threatening. 

The following item from an editorial in the Montreal 
Witness of Jan. 24th, 1883, clearly represents the condi- 
tion of France in respect to the death of Gambetta and 
this movement of Prince Napoleon : — 

" It occurred to Prince Napoleon that now that the peo- 
ple had not Gambetta to lean upon, they would find how 
frail a reed was the Republic. Had the Republic been 
satisfactory ? Is it not a fact, as Prince Napoleon alleges, 
that no government had been a strong one, that Grevy had 
been a nobody, and that his cabinets had been mere tools 
of the Chambers, which were influenced by Gambetta and 
their partisan feelings alone. Has not the weakness of the 
army been proved by the skirmishes in Tunis, and the 
weakness of France's military power by the shameful with- 
drawal from Egypt ? Has not the glorious era of financial 
prosperity just ended, and has not the era of deficits and 
debts commenced? Is not France helpless and without 
influence in the councils of the nations ? would she not, 
but for the kindliness of Great Britain, be without a friend 
in Europe ? Has she not expressed her anger against Eng- 
land, aroused the hostility of Italy, so rejected the over- 
tures Russia as to have awakened bitter feelings in that 
country, and helplessly looked on while Germany and 
Austria made a compact which would free Germany's 
hands at any time to deal with France ? Can France take 
her proper place among the nations so long as she is ruled 
by factions in the Chamber of Deputies, which cannot or 
will not unite upon any policy ? If she cannot, what has 
she to look forward to as a republic now that the only 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



337 



England, 
and her 
present 
position. 



Boastings. 



Similar 
boastings. 



Austria. 

Present 
condition 
and 
prospects. 



man who could have united the people and given France a 
strong government is gone?" 

While France is thus unpleasantly situated, England — 
in strength and power, boasting that " The sun never sets 
on her dominions," — still continues to exercise quarternian 
authority in the affairs of Europe, and now rejoices, be- 
cause of her success in Egypt, while Arabi is left in exile 
on the island of Ceylon, he having reached that destina- 
tion Jan. 10th, 1883. 

The commercial and political interests of England in 
Asia, have become more thoroughly secured by her tri- 
umphant campaign in Egypt ; and Gladstone, the premier, 
is receiving unbounded congratulations because of his 
wonderful success ; and Victoria still reigns — Queen of 
England and Empress of India — and the prospects of 
Great Britain are such that some of her subjects are 
already beginning to boast that " A period of peace and 
quietness has set in." 

But such statements forcibly remind us of similar boast- 
ings upon the verge of the eventful period which opened 
with the French Revolution, about one hundred years ago, 
when this same nation and people were dreaming of tran- 
quility and prosperity, and none but Lord Chesterfield 
could detect the on-coming trouble, which was to involve 
all Europe in a mighty struggle. Therefore — until the 
Eastern Question -is settled, and Ireland and Egypt 
cease to annoy the home-government, and until Queen 
Victoria can enter the car of royalty, and majestically 
ride to the desired port without fear of loosing her life 
through the diabolical work of men who in the very heart 
of her own government are planning her destruction — we 
cannot look for peace even in boasting England. 

Austria havinp- suffered much from the movements of 
the late General Skobeleff, which set the Slav ele- 
ments in operation, is now financially embarassed because 
her revenues are too small ; and beside this Russia still 
continues to threaten war upon her — notwithstanding both 
of these powers belong to the Peace Alliance, — and Austria 



338 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



has not sufficient military strength for an emergency, 
which is a source of anxiety to the Emperor and his 
subjects ; as a collision with Russia would doubtless prove 
fatal to trembling Austria. 

The anxiety which is felt in Austria on this account is 
manifest from the excitement which was produced by the 
recent publication of a pamphlet in Pesth, entitled "Rus- 
sia and War," in which the author, who is a prominent 
member of the Hungarian Opposition, stated that "Russia 
has been determined on war with Austria ever since the 
Berlin Congress," and that "the army of Austria is 
numerically inadequate." And thus he has excited the 
fears of the Austrians and caused a general feeling of 
dread to seize upon all the people. 



Prussia, 
condition 
and 
prospect. 



German 
Empire, 
and its 
relation to 
other gov- 
ernments. 



Burgo- 
master. 



King 
William. 



Bismark. 



Prussia, another one of the four allied powers of 1815, 
which, since the German Empire was organized in 1871, 
has represented that empire in its intercourse with foreign 
nations, must be considered in its present position as the 
principal State of Germany. This position of Prussia 
involves the whole German Empire, and brings it before 
us for the consideration of its present standing. 

The German Empire is composed of twenty-six sove- 
reign States, of which Prussia is the chief. Each State 
retains its own government, and is represented in the 
General Parliament, to which all national matters are sub- 
mitted. 

The Legislative Parliament consists of a Senate, the 
members of which are elected for life, and a Chamber of 
Delegates, who are elected for a term of years. The Sen- 
ate chooses from its own members a Burgomaster, who is 
the chief executive. 

When the Confederation was formed, King William of 
Prussia was elected Emperor of Germany, which position 
he has held since Jan. 18th, 1871. 

Prince Bismark, who was the prime instigator of the 
German Confederacy, is the Premier of this Empire, and 
figures largely in the affairs of Europe. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



339 



Ever since the organization of this Empire, which for- 
ever darkened the prospects of France, feelings of hostility 
have existed between the two governments. 

England, Italy, and Austria have been made to trem- 
ble, because of the movements of Bismark and Emperor 
William, with reference to France. 

Gambetta hated the German Emperor, and especially 
his Premier ; and that he was hated in return is evident, 
by the expressions of joy at his sudden death which have 
passed from the lips of Germany's two men. 

Germany occupies an enviable position because of its 
power, and is jealously watched by its rivals ; while it is 
for their interest to keep their jealousies to themselves, 
and to deceptively manoeuvre in order to keep on friendly 
terms with those whose wrath they dread. 

But Germany, as well as other powers, gives evidence 
of weakness. The crown does not rest with easy grace 
upon the brow even of Emperor William. 



Russia, 
condition 
and 
prospects. 



Nihilism. 



Russia continues to covet Constantinople ; and, though 
still allied with England, Austria and Prussia, to keep the 
peace of Europe, she will not fail to improve the first op- 
portunity to seize upon that city, even if it should involve 
the nations in one fearful conflict. The Czar has a more 
firm hold upon Turkestan than he had one year ago ; and 
he is in a position to occasion much trouble to England, by 
aggressing upon her Indian possessions. 

Strong and powerful in outward appearance, Russia is 
watched with jealous eyes by the different nations, while 
in her own heart there are evils which are sapping her very 
life. Nihilism, with the same implements of destruction 
which slew the late Czar, Alexander II., March 13th, 1881, 
still stands ready to destroy the Russian ruler and to break 
down his government ; and this has had such an influence 
to intimidate, that the coronation of the present Czar has 
been a source of great anxiety ; for while preparations have 
been made for his coronation, there have also been prepara- 
tions made for his assassination, which have caused him to 



340 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Extract 
from 
Skobe- 
leff's 
memor- 
andum. 



The 
quotation. 



fear lest his doom should be sealed, even before the royal 
diadem should be placed upon his brow ; or, if he were 
crowned, that the crown would be removed by Nihilistic 
hands. 

Russia's present position with reference to the Eastern 
Question, also, is well represented in the following extract 
from the memorandum of General Skobeleff, written 
just before his sudden death, and recently published in the 
Moscow Gazette. He said : — 

' ' The political and military ideas which must in the 
future form the basis of our policy are those by which I 
have been guided, remembering, as I did, the solemn 
words the late Emperor addressed to me before starting 
for the Tekke expedition. To my mind the Central Asian 
question is perfectly clear and simple. If it do not enable 
us in a comparatively short time to take seriously in hand 
the Eastern Question itself, why, the Asiatic hide is not 
worth the tanning. I venture to think that sooner or later 
Russian statesmen will recognize the fact that Russia must 
have the Bosphorus ; that upon this depends not only her 
greatness but her very security from invasion, and, by im- 
plication, the development of her manufacturing and com- 
mercial centres. No one, I suppose, will dispute that so 
long as we are weighed down by the Polish and West Rus- 
sian questions, all regular progress, in the truly national 
sense of the word, will be extremely difficult. At present, 
in spite of the blood we have poured forth, all our frontiers 
are open to hostile attacks, compelling us to maintain an 
immense army ; while the Polish difficulty, thanks to the 
complications arising from the Austro-German alliance, 
keeps us in a continual state of siege. Not until she dom- 
inates the Bosphorus can Russia make an irrevocable 
Finis Polonioe." 



Spain, 
condition 
and 
prospect. 



Spain has been often involved in trouble which has been 
phased according to circumstances, often complicated and 
always embarassing. 

She was obliged at last to yield to England at North 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



341 



Members 
of the new 
Spanish 
ministry. 



Borneo, and recently, within the heart of the Spanish 
government, there has been a desperate struggle between 
the Liberals, led by Senora Sagasta, and the Demo- 
crats, under Marshal Serrano, which resulted in vic- 
tory to the Democratic leader, at first ; but his triumph 
was of short duration. Sagasta soon triumphed over 
him, and was established in power as Premier, and a new 
Spanish ministry was constituted, composed of the follow- 
ing officers : Sagasta, Premier; Martinez Compos, Min- 
ister of War; Guyon, Minister of Interior ; Armijo, Min- 
ister of Foreign Affairs; Giron, Minister of Justice; 
Cuesta, Minister of Marine ; Arca, Minister of Colonies; 
and Gamazo, Minister of Public Works. But how long 
this ministry will remain in power, in the present crisis, 
is uncertain. 



Ottoman 

Empire, 

condition 

and 

prospect. 



The Ottoman Empire is constituted by the possession 
of European Turkey and Asiatic Turkey, Barca and Tri- 
poli, and the islands of Candia and Cyprus. There are 
also four sovereign States, — Roumania, Servia, Monte- 
negro and Egypt, — which have each a distinct govern- 
ment, though nominally they are subject to the Sultan. 
While many of the inhabitants of the provinces of the Sul- 
tan are Mohammedans, the inhabitants of Roumania, Ser- 
via and Montenegro belong to the Greek Church, and are 
bitterly opposed to- the religion of Mohammed. The gov- 
ernment of the Sultan is arbitrary, and far inferior to 
other European governments in enterprise and civilization, 
and for this reason and several others, the Sultan is not 
wanted in Europe. 

It would be a day of rejoicing among the European na- 
tions if the Turks could be driven off their continent with- 
out Russia receiving too much advantage on account of it. 

The Sultan is now in a sad condition, menaced by the 
nations, and threatened with destruction by parties in his 
own government, until he is almost deprived of reason, 
and does not know what course to pursue. 

If he is driven from his seat of empire at Constantinople 



342 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



The Sultan 
and the 
Pope 
compared. 



by force of arms, or vacates that seat to flee because his 
life is in danger, Constantinople will be left for the nations 
to contend about, while he may find a temporary home 
under the shadow of the Mosque of Omar, in Jerusalem, 
where, recently, he has given orders to have repairs and 
general improvements made ; but, unsupported and unpro- 
tected, he could not then expect to long survive. 

The Sultan in Constantinople, and the Pope in Rome, 
are both in an equally lamentable condition. Their 
circumstances are parallel, as is seen by the following 
extracts from a reliable paper : — 

' ' If the Pope has been compelled to accept a seat on a 
subject's stool after having had the chair of royalty un- 
ceremoniously snatched from under him by the King of 
Italy, and thus been left to bewail a lost kingdom and 
departed glory, he can now comfort himself — on the 
principle that misery loves company — with the reflection 
that the Grand Turk occupies a throne so unstable that he 
must soon vacate it." 



Condition 
and 

prospects 
made plain 
by an 
extract 
from a 
modern 
paper. 



The present condition of the Ottoman ruler and the 
future prospects of the nations of the old world are made 
very plain in the following extract from a recent paper : — 

" The Sultan of Turkey is reported to be on the borders 
of insanity, owing to the results of the Egyptian trouble, 
and to his consciousness that the Empire of Turkey is 
gradually being dismembered. A dispatch to the New 
York Sun says, that the Sultan's mind has also been 
affected by the discovery of a plot to assassinate him. 
He is a prey to the most fearful fits of depression, becomes 
frantic in his terrors, wails and shrieks at his imaginary 
enemies, makes and unmakes ministers in twenty-four 
hours, and altogether presents a pitiable spectacle. His 
dread of assassination haunts him like a perpetual night- 
mare. He tells every one about him that he will meet the 
fate of his brother, and if his hallucinations do not carry 
him off it is quite possible he may. The same corres- 
pondent adds : The English government was perfectly 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



343 



Peace at 
present. 
Prepared 
for war. 



An extract 
from the 
Montreal 
"Witnnss. 



well aware that the Sultan had committed an act of war 
against England, and that she, in conducting a campaign 
against Arabi, was really at war with Turkey. But, for 
a variety of reasons, it was not desirable that formal ad- 
mission and publication of the fact of and her knowledge 
of it should be made, as in the trial of Arabi it necessarily 
would have to be made ; therefore Lord Dufferin summa- 
rily disposed of the state trials at Cairo, and the relations 
of England with Turkey are apparently undisturbed. The 
acknowledgment of the existence of a state of war between 
England and the Porte would have entailed the most seri- 
ous consequences, and a responsibility that England could 
not at present shoulder. It would have precipitated an 
outbreak between Austria and Russia, which may not be 
long deferred in any event." 

Peace prevails at present ; but it is uncertain how long 
it will continue. All nations are certainly prepared for 
war, and only seem to be waiting for the signal call to arms. 

The Editor of the Montreal Witness has recently 
made the following statement, which is significant of this 
fact : — 

" Germany decreed peace in Europe, and Europe has 
been peaceful, though each nation has immense armies on 
the other's frontiers, and there is no peace at heart.'''' 

The following item, clipped from a late paper, corrobo- 
rates the statements which we have made. The writer is 
well qualified to judge of the state of European affairs, and 
says : — 

" This young year is pregnant with events of deep and 
dire significance. The leaders of power in England and 
Germany are old men tottering on the verge of the Be- 
yond : Queen Victoria is not young ; the Emperor of Rus- 
sia sleeps on dynamite ; France is feverish, and awaits a 
crisis ; Spain and Italy play monarchy ; Turkey is still 
the ' sick man,' and the entire continent of Europe is in a 
condition which is favorable at any moment to an entire 
and radical change in the condition of affairs. A single 
night might alter the destiny of kings." 



344 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Horizon 
scanned. 



War-cloud 



Thus we scan the horizon, and look over the grand 
arena, to see the principal governments which now exist 
upon the territory of the Old Roman Empire prepared to 
eno-age in war at a moment's warning. 

© D © 

The war-cloud is black and ominous; the occasional 
flashes of lightning, followed by muttering thunders, indi- 
cate, that the storm which gathers so slowly, will be all the 
more terrible when it bursts, at last, in all its fury, upon 
the threatened territory. 



History 
now traced 



Prophetic 
side to be 
considered 

Many- 
prophecies 
of Roman 
Empire. 



Having now traced the history of the Roman Empire 
from its rise to its fall, and carefully noted its divisions, 
until we have seen it broken up into the fragment-govern- 
ments which now exist upon its territory, we turn to the 
prophetic side of the subject, to consider God's repre- 
sentations and declarations concerning it. 

There are more prophecies relating to the Fourth Em- 
pire than to all the others, and we cannot notice them 
fully in this lecture. Two lectures more will be devoted 
to this subject ; and then, even, much will remain unex- 
plained. But the principal lines of prophecy which are 
the most clear and striking in their application to the his- 
tory will be presented, bringing us down to the present 
times, and proving that what we stated at the commence- 
ment of our first lecture is true, and that God has certainly 
declared " the end from the beginning." 



Remaining 
prophecies 
of Daniel 
to be 
noticed. 



First line 
of symbols 
Metallic 
image. 
Fourth 
Kingdom 
strong as 
iron. 



In this lecture we shall only refer to the remaining 
prophecies of Daniel which relate to the empire, leaving 
the remainder for the lectures which follow. 

In our last lecture we noticed that the Roman Empire, 
as the Fourth Great Empire of the World, was repre- 
sented in that first line of symbols, in the metallic Image, 
by the fourth symbol of the line, which was the " iron." 
Daniel said, in giving the interpretation : " The Fourtpi 
Kingdom shall be strong as iron ;" and, as one strong 
and mighty empire, undivided and unbroken, it was thus 
first represented in the Image, before the features indicated 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE — DIVIDED. 



345 



by the legs, feet and toes appear. (See page 224.) Now 
we are prepared to notice the peculiar characteristics of 
this symbol, and to appreciate what they represent. 



Legs 
significant. 



Rome 
divided. 



The two 
divisions 
repre- 
sented by 
the legs of 
the image. 



Other 
character- 
istics. 
Feet and 
toes. 

What of 
them ? 

Answer. 
Dan. 2: 
41-43. 



The legs of this Image are as significant as the arms; 
and, as we noticed in our second lecture, the arms repre- 
sent the two nations, — the Medes and the Persians ; and 
as upon the Chart the arms are folded together across the 
breast, so these two nations were united to constitute the 
one Medo-Persian Empire, the second in the world's his- 
tory (see page 97) ; so the legs, separated, instead of 
united, represent a division of this Fourth Empire into 
two parts, which continue to the end of its history. 

We found, in tracing the history of the Roman Empire, 
that it finally ceased to exist as one undivided kingdom, 
and separated into the two grand divisions of Eastern 
and Western Rome, in A.D. 395, when two grand capi- 
tals appeared instead of one, — Constantinople in the 
East, and Rome in the West. We have traced the his- 
tory of the Roman Empire in these two important divi- 
sions, until we have learned that they have been continued, 
in some form, down to the present time ; the two capitals 
being in existence to-day, and appear still, as the capitals 
of fragments of these original divisions. 

These two divisions then, are represented by the two 
legs of the Image ; one being as significant in the symbol 
as the other. 

It is as though one foot of the metallic Image was placed 
at Constantinople, in the East, and the other at Rome, in 
the West ; so clearly are these two grand divisions repre- 
sented in this wonderful symbol. 

Now there are other characteristics of this symbol which 
demand attention. The "feet and toes" — "part of iron 
and part of clay." 

What do these indicate? Daniel has answered this 
question in the following significant language: "And 
whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potter's 
clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided ; but 



346 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Applica- 
tion to the 
history 



Sub- 
divisions. 



Many- 
Kingdoms. 



Condition 
of these 
sub- 
divisions. 



Element of 
weakness. 



Strong and 
broken. 



Fragments 
of Roman 
Empire. 

"Weakness 
in all. 



What of 
the toes ? 
What 
some think 



there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch 
as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. And as 
the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so 
the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 
And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they 
shall mingle themselves with the seed of men : but they 
shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed 
with clay." (Dan. 2: 41, 42, 43.) According to this 
language, other divisions must appear in this empire, 
beside the two general ones, indicated by the legs of the 
Image, for he says : " Whereas thou sawest the feet and 
toes part of potter's clay, and part of iron, — the kingdom 
shall be divided." This must refer to sw5-divisions as they 
are represented by "the feet and toes" and could not 
appear until after the division indicated by " the legs." 
We have seen, in tracing the history onward, that minor 
divisions were soon made, and that to-day many king- 
doms exist upon the territory once occupied by the Roman 
Empire. 

Now, what is to be the condition of these sub-divisions ? 
Are they to "be strong as iron," and thus prove that no 
strength has been lost while the Empire has been broken 
up and divided ? The prophecy indicates that the strength 
of the iron will still continue, but an element of weakness 
will mingle in, and appear as represented by the " clay," 
and because of this, we read "The kingdom shall be partly 
strong and partly broken." 

This is characteristic of the kingdoms of the old world 
at the present time, which exist as fragments of this Roman 
Empire, as we have seen. 

There is the element of weakness in every one of them. 
Communism, Nihilism and Socialism, are as day mixed in 
with their iron strength, and they are, each of them, 
" partly strong and partly broken." 

But what do the ' ' toes " indicate ? Anything more than 
this broken and divided condition of things ? Some have 
thought because the toes are mentioned, that each toe 
represents a division, and all together represent just ten 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



347 



A 

deformed 
image. 

Deformed 
theory. 



The toes 
represent 
a short 
period. 

Five in the 
East, and 
five in the 
West. 



What the 
prophecy 
warrants. 



divisions of this Roman Empire ; but, while they have 
been particular to make the ten toes represent ten kingdoms, 
they have not always been particular to properly place the 
toes, so as to have the Image symmetrical, and have placed 
before the public a deformed image, to represent their 
theory, which must be as deformed as the Image they have 
made to represent that theory. When we see the image 
pictured before us with the toes longer than the legs, — 
because there were ten kingdoms established away back in 
the history of the Roman Empire, during the fourth and 
fifth centuries, — or when they are made to appear all on 
one foot, because there were ten Italian States in the west- 
ern division of this empire, we say, this image is de- 
formed, and unlike that which God introduced before 
Nebuchadnezzar, and which Daniel so graphically des- 
cribed while under the power of inspiration. If the toes 
do represent just ten divisions, it is very evident that they 
do not represent the ten divisions of the fourth and fifth 
centuries, nor the ten Italian States, for these are all 
represented by other symbols, as we shall see. 

The toes are the extremities of the feet, and very short 
in comparison to the feet and legs, and they must repre- 
sent the very last fragments of this empire ; and if they 
indicate just ten kingdoms, thence kingdoms must appear 
in the east, and five in the west, in the very last part of 
its history, as one foot represents the east and the other 
the west, and as there are five toes on each foot. 

But the prophecy does not warrant us in stating that 
the " toes " indicate just ten divisions, — no more and no 
less. All the explanation Daniel gave of them is found 
in this language, "As the toes of the feet were part of 
iron and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly 
strong and partly broken ;" and we are left with the clear 
understanding that they represent the ' ' broken " and 
divided condition of the Roman Empire, in the very last 
part of its history, and which is seen in the modern king- 
doms upon its territory. 



348 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Second 
line of 
symbols. 
Dan. 7. 



Fourth 

beast. 

Fourth 

kingdom. 

Roman. 

Ten horns. 

Little horn 

Three 
horns 
plucked up 



Truth of 
the ten 
horns - 
Dan. 7 : 
20, 21. 



We now turn our attention again to the second line of 
symbols, — the four beasts of Daniel 7, to notice the pecu- 
liar characteristics of the fourth one, which Daniel inquired 
about so carefully, being particular to notice every feature 
and to inquire into its meaning, as we saw in our last 
lecture, when we saw that this fourth beast, in all 
its terribleness, represented the "Fourth kingdom upon 
the earth " (Dan. 7 : 23), which was the Koman Empire. 

This beast is described as having ' ' ten horns " upon his 
head, and as having another little horn " which came up" 
and ' ' before whom there were three of the first horns 
plucked up by the roots ; " and " In this horn were eyes 
like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great 
things." 

These characteristics interested Daniel, and they demand 
our attention. 

The prophet not only asked to " Know the truth of the 
fourth beast" as a whole, and as we noticed in our last 
lecture, but also asked the truth " of the ten horns that 
were in his head, and of the other which came up, and be- 
fore whom three fell ; even of that horn that had eyes, 
and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was 
more stout than his fellows. (Dan. 7 : 20.) 



Explana- 
tion. 
Dan. 7: 
24r-26. 



As he thus anxiously asked to know the truth of the 
horns, they were explained to him in the following words : — 

" The ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that 
shall arise • and another shall rise after them ; and he 
shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three 
kings. 

" And he shall speak great words against the most High, 
and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think 
to change times and laws : and they shall be given into his 
hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. 

"But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away 
his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end." 
(Dan. 7: 24, 25, 26.) 

Having already seen that this " fourth beast, dreadful 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



349 



Are the 
horns sig- 
nificant ? 

Ten horns, 
ten kings 
or king- 
doms. 
Question. 
Answer. 



Ten 

distinct 
kingdoms. 



and terrible, " properly represented the Roman Empiee in 
its strength and glory, as the Foueth in the world's his- 
tory, we wish to know whether the horns are as significant 
in what they represent. 

We have just read, "The ten horns out of this kingdom 
are ten kings [or kingdoms] that shall arise." 

Now, have ten kingdoms arisen out of this Soman Em- 
pire ? 

We glance back over the events of its history, and re- 
call the fact, that after this empire had been divided into 
Eastern arid Western Rome, between the years A.D. 449 
and A.D. 507, just ten, distinct kingdoms, were established 
upon the territory of the Roman Empire, as the result of 
the work of the numerous barbarians who came in and 
flooded that country (see page 258). Each of these king- 
doms bore the name peculiar to its founder, and they were 
established as follows : — 



First. I. The Saxon kingdom, in South Britain, A.D. 449. 

Second. II. The Beiton kingdom, in West Britain, A.D. 449. 

Third. III. The Gepidaen, kingdom, north of Thrace, be- 

yond the Danube, A.D. 453. 

Fourth. IV. The Suevpan kingdom, in the north-west of Spain, 

A.D. 457. 

Fifth. Y. The Vandal kingdom, in the north of Africa, A.D. 

493. 



Sixth. 



Seventh. 



VI. The Osteogothic kingdom, in Italy, A.D. 493. 

VII. The Alemannl4N kingdom, just north of Italy, 
A.D. 496. 



Eighth VIII. The Buegundian kingdom, in the east of Gaul, 

A.D. 500. 



350 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Ninth. 



Tenth. 



IX. The Visigothic kingdom, in Spain, A.D. 500. 

X. The Frank kingdom, in Gaul, A.D. 507. 



or kingdoms did 



arise " accord- 



other little 
horn. 

What does 
It signify ? 

Explana- 
tion. 



Did it 

arise ? 

Historical 
answer. 



Thus the ' ' ten kings 
ing to the prophecy. 

The next point in the prophetic representation is the 
" other " " little horn " " which came up, and before whom 
three fell:' 

What does this ' ' other " horn indicate ? It is explained 
in these words : "And another " — another king, or king- 
dom — " shall rise after them," — "after" the ten, — " and 
he shall be diverse" — diiferent — " from the first, and he 
shall subdue three kings " — " subdue three" of the orig- 
inal " ten kings," or kingdoms. 

Did such an one arise and accomplish the work of sub- 
duing three of the other kingdoms ? 

We saw, when tracing the history, that soon after the 
ten kingdoms had become established, Justinian, at the 
head of the Eastern Empire at Constantinople, who came 
upon the throne of that government in A.D. 527, sent his 
troops, under the command Belisarius, down into Africa 
to overpower the Vandals ; and that he succeeded in sub- 
duing the Yandal kingdom in A.D. 534. Then that same 
general was sent by Justinian into Italy, to ' ' subdue " the 
Ostrogoths. Belisarius fought against them for a time, 
when he was recalled, and Narses was given command of 
the forces of Justinian, to operate against those barbarian 
possessors of Italy, and he succeeded in subduing the Os- 
trogothic kingdom, about A.D. 553. The Emperor of 
the East then sent his forces into the north of Italy and 
subdued the kingdom of the Alamennt, about A.D. 554. 
And thus Justinian, Emperor of the East, subdued just 
three of the ten kingdoms, which had been established upon 
the Eoman territory. Justinian then, at the head of the 
Eastern Empire, must have been the " king " represented 
by " the little horn," that should " rise after" the others, 
" and subdue three kings. 



THE BOM AN EMPIRE.— DIVIDED. 



351 



Other king 
does other 
work. 

Horn has 
eyes and 
mouth. 



Peculiar, 



What is 
repre- 
sented. 
Explana- 
tion. 



Two 

Powers, 

Political, 

Ecclesias- 
tical, 

Repre- 
sented. 



State and 

Church 

united. 



Speaks 
great 
words. 
Wears out 
the saints. 
Changes 
times and 
laws. 

Has all 
been done ? 

Has he 
spoken the 
great 
words ? 



But this other king, who should arise, is represented as 
doing other work beside subduing three kings. 

This " horn " which represented him " had eyes, and a 
mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more 
stout than his fellows." 

A very peculiar feature is here introduced. ' « Eyes like 
the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things " are 
in the horn. 

What does this represent ? 

We have just seen that the horn represented the king, 
in his position at the head of the government, in the East. 
A new power is now evidently associated with that of the 
king, as the " eyes " and " mouth " appear in the horn. 

There are two great powers which exist, and by which 
the world is controlled. They are Political and Eccle- 
siastical ; and when these two are united, their strength 
is two-fold. 

These two powers are evidently represented, in this 
symbol, as united; the horn indicating political power, and 
the eyes and mouth representing ecclesiastical power . 

Therefore we may expect to see State and Church 
united ; and, as we again refer to the facts of history, we 
find that Justinian, at the head of the civil government, 
united with the Pope, the head of the Church, and their 
interests became one, and finallythe Pope became the dic- 
tator of both the Church and State, and ruled as an Eccle- 
siastico-Political potentate. 

When thus Church and State should be combined, "he" 
who should stand at the head of both is represented as 
speaking "great words against the most High," and it is 
said " he " shall wear out the saints of the most High, and 
think to change times and laws; and they shall be given 
into his hands, until a time and times and the dividing of 
times.'''' 

Has all this been done by the Pope while at the head of 
Church and State ? 

Has he ever spoken any ' ' great words against the most 
High?" We quote in answer to this question, the fol- 



352 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Answer 
found in 
the state- 
ments of 
the differ- 
ent Popes. 



lowing statements which were made by the different Popes 
who represented Church and State : 

Pope Innocent said to Kichard of England, "I hold 
the place of God upon earth." ( Gervas, Chron. Scrip., 
p. 1623.) 

The famous Popish author Augustus Triumphus, in his 
Pref. Sum. to John 22, used the following words : " The 
Pope's power is infinite." 

" The very doubt whether a council be greater than the 
Pope is absurd, because it involves this contradiction, that 
the supreme Pontiff is not supreme. He cannot err, he 
cannot be deceived. It must be conceived concerning him 
that he knows all things." {Jacob, de Concil., Lib. 10.) 

"The earth is seven times bigger than the moon ; and 
the sun is eight times greater than the earth ; therefore 
the Pope's dignity doth surmount that of the emperor fifty- 
six times ! " (Innocent III., De Major, etc.) 

"As kings and princes must submit themselves to the 
Pope's judgment, therefore all must be judged by the 
Pope, but he can be judged by no man. Though by his 
negligence or evil actions he should draw with him innu- 
merable souls to hell, yet no mortal may be so presump- 
tuous as to reprove him, or to say, Why do you thus?" 
.(Id.) 

" What power or potentate in all the world is compar- 
able to me, who have authority to bind and loose both in 
heaven and on earth, ... to whom emperors and kings 
are inferior, as lead is inferior to gold." (Nicholas, 
Dist. 22.) 

" The power of the Pope is greater than angels in juris- 
diction : in administration of sacraments ; in knowledge ; 
and in reward. Does he not command angels to absolve 
the soul out of purgatory, and carry it into the glory of 
paradise?" (Antonius, Pars. 3.) 

' ' Who is able to comprehend the greatness of the Pope's 
power and seat?" (Marcellus, Dist. 17.) 

" The Pope is the Vicar of Jesus Christ throughout 
the whole world, in the stead of the living God. He 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



353 



hath that dominion and lordship which Christ, when 

HE WAS UPON EARTH, WOULD NOT ASSUME ; that is, THE 
UNIVERSAL JURISDICTION OF ALL THINGS, BOTH SPIRITUAL 

and temporal." (Ockam, Dialog., Pars. 1, Lib. 5.) 

" The Pope is all in all, and above all, so that God 
himself and the Pope, the Vicar of God, are but one 
consistory." (Hostiensis, Cap, etc.) 

« < To make war against the Pope is to make war 
against God, seeing the Pope is God, and God is the 
Pope." (Moreri's History.) 

At the coronation of a Pope, the Cardinal Deacon puts 
the triple crown on the Pope's head, and addresses to him 
the following : " Receive this tiara, embellished with three 
crowns, and never forget that you are the Father of 
Princes and Kings, the Supreme Judge of the uni- 
verse, AND, ON THE EARTH, VlCAR OF JESUS CHRIST, OUR 

Lord and Saviour." (Conformity of Popery and Pagan- 
ism, by C. Middleton.) 



Sufficient 
proof. 



No further proof is required to establish the fact that 
" he " has " spoken great words against the most High." 
From the time that Church and State were united, to the 
time when Pope Pius IX. attempted to establish his infalli- 
bility, in 1870, such great words have been spoken. 



Has he 
worn out 
the saints ? 



Answer 

Found in 
the history- 



Did he 
change 
times and 
laws ? 



But, we read further, "he" " shall wear out the saints 
of the most High." Has he ever done this part of his 
foretold work? 

When we remember that during the time while Church 
and State were united under the reign of Popes, the ter- 
rible Papal persecution occurred, and nearly seventy mil- 
lions of victims were destroyed, because they would not 
submit to the decrees and dogmas of the Pope, we 
realize that " he" did, emphatically, " wear out the saints 
of the most High." 

But did " he " " think to change times and laws ; " and 
were " they " " given into his hand " ? 

The following quotations from the papal statutes prove 



354 



THE WOULD' S GEE AT EMPIRES. 



Proof from 

Papal 

Statutes. 



that this was true of the Pope : — " The Pope has power 
to change times, to abrogate laws, and to dispense with all 
things, even the precepts of Christ." Decretal de Trans- 
lat. Episcop. Gap. 

" The Pope has authority, and has often exercised it, to 
dispense with the commands of Christ respecting War, 
Marriage, Divorce, Revenge, Swearing, Usury, Perjury 
and Uncleanness." Pope JVicholis, Caus. 15, Quest. 7. 

" The Pope's will stands for reason. He can dispense 
above the law ; and of wrong make right, by correcting 
and changing laws." Pope JVicholis, Dist. 96. 

" The Pope can dispense against the law of nature, and 
against the universal state of the church." Pope JVicholis, 
Caus. 15, Quest. 6. 

"The Pope is free from all laws, so that he cannot 
incur any sentence of irregularity, suspension, excommu- 
nication, or penalty for any crime." Dist. 40. 



How long ? 



Time, 
times and 
dividing 
of time. 



What is 
meant ? 



Explana- 
tion. 



1260 years. 
The next 
declaration 
concerning 
him. 



But how long is "he " to wear out the saints of the 
most High, and have power "to change times and 
laws?" The prophecy states that "they shall be given 
into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of 
time.'''' 

But what are we to understand bv such language? 
What does time mean ? 

Time, according to ancient usage, meant a year, times, 
two years, and the dividing of time, signified half a year, 
so it would read a year, two years and a half a year, or 
three years and a half. 

It is evident that these are prophetic numbers in which 
each day represents a year; and so we inquire how many 
years are thus represented ; when we learn, by reducing 
the three years and a half to days, that there are just 
twelve hundred and sixty days ; and this is very significant, 
when we remember that the Papal persecution covered 
nearly twelve hundred and sixty years. 

The next prophetic declaration concerning him who has 
spoken these " great words," worn " out the saints," and 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



355 



Has it been 
fulfilled ? 



Answer 
found in 
the facts of 
history. 



Wonderful 



changed " times and laws,''' is as follows : " But the judg- 
ment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to 
consume and to destroy it unto the end." 

Has this been fulfilled? Has "the judgment" sat? and 
have they " taken away his dominion?" 

We have seen, in tracing the history of the Papacy, that 
the Pope's power to persecute was taken away in 1773, 
when Jesuitism was abolished ; but that he continued to 
exercise temporal power in Eome and the Papal States 
until 1870, when Austria, hearing of the great words 
spoken by Pius IX. , in his attempt to establish his claim 
to be infallible, " tore the concordat into shreds" and left 
the Pope unsupported and at the mercy of his enemies, 
judging him to be no longer worthy of dominion and 
power. Then the Italians entered the City of Eome with 
their troops, to " take away his dominion," and on the 2d 
of Oct., 1870, they voted to renounce the temporal power 
of the Pope, forty thousand eight hundred and thirty-five 
voting to thus "take away his dominion," while only forty- 
six voted against it. Then, on the 1st of Nov., 1870, 
"they" issued that decree: "All the political au- 
thority of the Pope and the Holy See is abolished, 
and will remain so." 

From that time the Pope has been divested of temporal 
dominion, and his treasures have been taken away, until, 
in wretchedness Pius IX. died, a prisoner, and Leo XIII. 
has been obliged to acknowledge himself also a prisoner in 
the Vatican, and, in sorrow and sadness, to wail because 
of his weakness. 

Thus " the judgment did sit," and " his dominion has 
been taken away," and he has been being consumed ; and 
this is to continue unto "the end," which must now be near. 

How wonderful it is that these things should have been 
represented in prophetic symbol ; and so long before the 
events transpired which they forecast ! 

This Beast, with his horns, was seen by Daniel, and all 
these remarkable events were described more than four 
hundred years before the Roman Empire was established ; 



356 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



and yet, these events, occurring along through its history, 
from first to last, are so clearly and vividly described as 
that there is no need of mistaking them ! Surely, it is God 
who could thus tell the story beforehand. 



Third line 
of symbols 
Daniel 8. 

Review. 



Another 
character- 
istic. 



Daniel 8 : 
23-25. 



Question. 
Explana- 
tion. 

Daniel 8 : 
23-25. 



The third line of symbols, as described in Dan. 8, now 
demands further notice. 

We saw, in our third lecture, that the "rough goat," in 
this prophetic line of symbols, represented the Grecian 
Empire; and, that the "notable horn between the eyes" 
represented Alexander the Great, the first king. We also 
saw that the "notable horn" was broken, and that four 
notable ones came up in its place ; which represented the 
four kingdoms, into which Alexander's empire was divided, 
after he was broken by the " Cup of Hercules," and that a 
line of rulers continued in these kingdoms, with the excep- 
tion of the Eastern kingdom, until they were overpowered 
by the Romans. 

Now we have another characteristic of this symbol, 
which has not yet been noticed. " A little horn" comes 
" out of one of" these four, and does a particular work, as 
described in the followino- lano-uao-e : — 

" And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which 
waxed exceeding great toward the south, and toward the 
east, and toward the pleasant land. 

" And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven ; and 
it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the around , 
and stamped upon them. 

" Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the 
host, and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and 
the place of his sanctuary was cast down. 

" And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice 
by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to 
the ground ; and it practised, and prospered." (Dan. 8 : 
9-12.) 

What does this little horn represent? 

The explanation is given as follows : — " And in the latter 
time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED, 



357 



Latter time 

What 

kingdom. 



King of 
fierce 
counte- 
nance. 
Question. 



How some 
answer it. 
Antiochus 
Epiphanes 



History- 
proves 
otherwise. 



to the full, a king of fierce countenance, and understanding 
dark sentences, shall stand up. 

" And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own 
power : and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall 
prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty and 
the holy people. 

"And through his policy also he shall cause craft to 
prosper in his hand ; and he shall magnify himself in his 
heart, and by peace shall destroy many : he shall also 
stand up against the Prince of princes ; but he shall be 
broken without hand." (Dan. 8 : 23-25.) 

' ' In the latter time of their kingdom " — what kingdom ? 
The kingdom represented by the four horns; for the great 
Grecian Empire was thus represented as a kingdom in 
four parts, or divisions, under four lines of rulers. "In 
the latter time of their kingdom." What time in their 
history is here designated? "The latter time;" or, in 
the last part of the history of this kingdom, under its 
many kings. 

" A king of fierce countenance" is described, as stand- 
ing up to do a mighty work ; and he is represented by 
this little horn. Has such a king stood up ? If so, who 
was he ? 

Some have answered this question, by saying that this 
king was Antiochus Epiphanes. But, did Antiochus 
Epiphanes appear in the latter part of their kingdom ; the 
kinoxlom of Alexander's successors ? 

In tracing the history of the successors of Alexander, 
we found that in Syria a line of twenty-two rulers 
ascended to the throne in that northern division of the 
Grecian Empire, before it was reduced to a Roman pro- 
vince. Antiochus Epiphanes was the eighth ruler in this 
line, and was therefore nearer to the beginning of this 
quartered kingdom than he was to the end of it, as only 
seven rulers ruled before him, while fourteen ruled after 
he occupied that throne. Therefore, the expression "In 
the latter time of their kingdom," could not properly apply 
to him. But it is claimed that he was of fierce counten- 



358 



THE WORLD'S GEE AT EMPIRES. 



New 
Power. 



Romans. 

Roman 
history 
compared 
with the 
symbol. 



ance, and that he did the work represented by this little 
horn, such as taking away the daily sacrifice, etc. It 
is true that Antiochus Epiphanes was fierce, and it is 
true that he did suspend the daily sacrifice for a time, by 
his impious conduct ; but it was afterward resumed as 
before, so he did not " take it away." And, beside, this 
horn-king is represented as doing what Antiochus never 
did. lie stands up against the Prince of princes ; who 
is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Antiochus 
Epiphanes never stood up against Christ ; for he died one 
hundred and sixty-four years before Christ was born. If 
Antiochus is not here represented, then where does this 
prophecy apply? 

It is evident that this horn-represented-king is a new 
power, which comes up in the last part of the history of 
the Grecian Empire, in its divided state ; and that this 
new power finally supercedes every other in its fierceness ; 
and, after noting the history as carefully as we have done, 
we cannot fail to see that the Romans are here represented 
in their kingdom and power. This " little horn" '■'■waxed 
great.'''' The Romans waxed great, until their empire 
became universal and superceded the four divisions of 
Alexander's kingdom, and, while in its divisions that 
Grecian kingdom was declining in power, the Romans 
were increasing in strength, and adding to the territory of 



their government. 



This horn "waxed great toward the 



south and toward the east, and toward the pleasant land ; " 
and, in tracing the history of Rome, we have seen that this 
is just the manner in which that government increased in 
greatness. For as we saw, after the Romans had become 
possessed of Italy, in 266 B. C, their ambition extended 
beyond the boundaries of that peninsula, and they began 
to increase in greatness. First, they conquered Sicily and 
Carthage on the south, and then they conquered Greece and 
Asia Minor on the east, and extended their conquests even 
to the land of Palestine, and added that naturally pleasant 
and beautiful country to their government ; and thus the 
Romans waxed great toward the south, toward the east, 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



359 



and toward the pleasant land, in just the order represented 
by this prophecy, until at last, gaining possession of the 
principal part of Africa, Europe and Asia, the Soman 
Empire was established in its glory. Its power was 
" mighty," and prosperit}' followed. This power stood 
up against the Prince of princes, when Jesus was crucified, 
and by this power "the daily sacrifice" was taken "away," 
when the army of Titus besieged Jerusalem, in A.D. 70, 
"and the place of the sanctuary was cast down," when, on 
the 17th of July, the daily sacrifice ceased forever, 
because there was no proper person to offer it. 



Daniel 11 
resumed. 



We now call attention again to the eleventh chapter of 
Daniel, and resume the investigation of that prophetic 
description from the point where we left the subject in 
our last lecture, when we saw that Constantine the 
Great, and his work in relation to Christians, was de- 
scribed in the first part of the thirty -fourth verse, when 
he did help the Christians "with a little help," in the 
assistance which he rendered them when he professed 
Christianity, and made it the religion of the empire. 



Verses 34, 
35. 



What is 
signified. 

Made plain 
from the 
history. 



Many- 
cleave by 
flatteries. 



"We now consider the last clause of this thirty-fourth 
verse and also verse thirty-fifth, which reads as follows : — 

" But many shall cleave to them with flatteries. 

" And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try 
them, and to purge and to make them white, even to the 
time of the end : because it is yet for a time appointed." 
What do these words signify ? Did many cleave to them 
by flatteries after the little help afforded by Constantine ? 

We saw that as soon as Constantine had established the 
Christian religion as the religion of the Empire, the Chris- 
tian Church became popularized ; its Ministers and Bishops 
aspired to high positions ; worldliness crept in among 
them, and people became nominal Christians, "for the 
sake of advantage," being flattered by the prospect of 
honor and emolument ; and thus ' ' many " did ' ' cleave to 
them by flatteries." 



360 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



How long 

To time of 
the end ? 

Questions. 



Time of 
the end 
important. 



Explained 



We are told, further, that " Some of them of under- 
standing shall fall, to try them, and to purge and to make 
them white," and we ask : Did any thus fall, according to 
the historical facts which we have presented ? Let us no- 
tice what we have considered upon this point. 

Soon after the persecution under Pagan Rome, even in 
those days when Constantine, as we just saw, "helped . . . 
with a little help," two parties appeared in the church and 
divided and distracted it by their quarrellings over points 
of doctrine, until one party gained advantage over the 
other one, and the Nicene Creed was established in its 
interests, and, finally, the victorious party became so pop- 
ular that many identified themselves with it to gain advan- 
tage, until it became so strong and powerful in its worldly 
position that an effort was made to compel those to unite 
with the great nominal church who had too much ' ' un- 
derstanding" of the true principles of the Gospel to be 
induced by flatteries to cleave to it, and the cruel Papal 
persecution was inaugurated and followed as the means to 
compel submission to the Church party. And so those of 
understanding, who would not sacrifice truth and con- 
science, fell, until millions were thus " tried, "purged and 
made " ivhite; " and, white-robed, they will rejoice at last 
in the presence of Christ, their Redeemer, forever. 

But how long shall this persecution continue ? The an- 
swer is, " Even to the time of the end." 

But what is the significance of the expression, "The 
time of the end?" Does it mean, simply, that this work 
shall continue until it ends, and nothing more ? 

This cannot be, for such a statement would be without 
meaning : as, of course, any work continues until it ends, 
after it has commenced. 

The phrase : " Time of the end," is important, and, un- 
less it is properly understood, we cannot appreciate what 
follows it. 

So we must consider it. 

As we noticed in our first lecture, God has declared 
" the end " of this world's history " from the beginning ; " 



THE BOMAN EMPIRE — DIVIDED. 



361 



Relates to 
the end. 



Not the 
end itself. 



Where it 

really 

applies. 



Have we 
come to 
that time ? 
Answer. 



Further 
investiga- 
tion. 



Verses 36, 
37. 



and then, we read, in Dan. 8 : 19, that "At the time ap- 
pointed, the end shall be." 

" The time of the end," relates to this "end " which has 
been "appointed? and which " shall be" "at the time 
appointed." 

But ' ' the time of the end " cannot mean the end itself, 
simply and only. It must cover a period approximating to 
" the end ; " which is the last period of time, and closes 
with " the end" itself, which is "the end of the world." 

This period, designated as "the time of the end," covers 
the space intervening between the close of the Papal perse- 
cution and " the end" which has been " appointed ; " and 
this space is filled up with events which specially relate to 
" the end," and which indicate its near approach, as we 
shall see. So the prophecy states, that this persecution 
would continue to the time of the end, not to the end. 
' ' Because it " — " the end " — is yet for a time ' ' ap- 
pointed." 

Now "we ask the important question, Has " the time of 
the end" yet commenced? If the persecution has closed, 
we have reached that period covered by the expression 
" The time of the end ;" for it was to continue " even to" 
that "time," and we have learned that the persecution 
ended with the abolishment of Jesuitism, in A.D. 1773 ; 
therefore "the time of the end" must have commenced 
there; and since then, whatever has occurred has trans- 
pired in " the time of the end ; " that is, during the period 
which is covered by the phrase, " The time of the end." 

This prepares us to investigate this prophecy further, 
and to understand that what follows this thirty-fifth verse, 
is what transpires in " the time of the end." 

In the thirty-sixth and thirty-seventh verses, we read : — 

" And the king shall do according to his Avill ; and he 
shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, 
and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, 
and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished ; for 
that that is determined shall be done. 

" Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the 



362 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



What is 
indicated ? 

Explana- 
tion. 



The king. 



A king. 

Wintle. 
Mede. 



Question. 



desire of women, nor regard any god : for he shall mag- 
nify himself above all." 

What does this language indicate? Who is meant by 
" the king," that " shall do according to his will?" 

It is evident that a new power is here introduced, which 
comes in to do a special work in " the time of the end," 
after the persecution closes. 

But this power is called "the king ;" as though he, "the 
king," had appeared before in connection with these affairs. 
Now why represent him as a new king, or a representative 
of a new power ? 

From the position he occupies and the nature of his 
work, it is evident that he has not been referred to before 
in this prophecy. If this is so, he should have been called 
a king, instead of the king ; and this is the true rendering 
of the term. Such critics as Wintle, Meade, and others, 
translate the definite article rendered "the," making it 
*' a." So the passage, translated from the Hebrew, more 
literally rendered, would read, " And a certain king shall 
do according to his will." 

Now, Ave ask, Who is this certain king, who " shall do 
according to his will ? " and, Did he come forward to do 
his work after the Papal persecution closed ? 



Answer 

from 

history. 



End of the 

French 

monarchy. 

French 

Republic. 



We have seen, that soon after the close of this terrible 
persecution, "The Revolutionary Ball began to roll in 
France ; " and that, in A.D. 1792, the war broke out in all 
its fury, and the throne of the French Monarchy was over- 
turned, and the royal family were taken prisoners ; and, 
finally, that the Monarchy was completely broken down, and 
Louis XVI., the king, was executed, Jan. 21st, 1793; 
and when this was done the French Republic took its 
place. It was not a mild and purely democratic govern- 
ment, but a red-handed and fearful power, which threw off 
all restraints, and stood as absolute, and was as insolent 
in its demands as any despot could be. 

It claimed the friendship of the people ; but that friend- 
ship was made subservient to its interests. Religion was 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



363 



State- 
ments of 
atheistical 
France. 



The 

Bishop of 
Paris. 

Re- 
nounces 
his religion 



Priests do 
the same. 

God defied. 
Chal- 
lenged. 

Death, 
" eternal 
sleep." 



Prophetic 

mould 

filled. 



despised and its forms of worship broken down ; and infi- 
delity, — the self-styled champion of free-thought and 
liberty, — was established in its hideous, black and fiend- 
ish authority. 

Thus Atheistical France became a mighty jpoicer , and 
in its terrible reign like a king, it is properly represented 
by this " king who should do according to his will." 

But, did Atheistical France do anything whereby it could 
be properly represented as exalting ' ' itself above every 
god," and, as speaking "marvellous things against the 
God of gods," and did it prosper in that work? 

We have seen that Atheistical France said, as the king 
had been dethroned, and an effort was being made to 
destroy all forms of worship, "It is not enough for a 
regenerate nation to have dethroned earthly kings, unless 
she stretches out the arm of defiance towards those powers 
which superstition has represented as reigning over bound- 
less space." And then the Bishop of the Diocese of 
Paris, as we have seen, was brought before the Conven- 
tion, and made to declare " That the religion which he had 
taught for so many years, was, in every respect, a piece 
of priestcraft, which had no foundation either in history 
or sacred truth.'''' He then solemnly and blasphemously 
renounced his faith, even in the existence of Deity, and 
pledged himself to do homage to Liberty, Equality, 
Virtue and Morality. Priests followed his example, 
and all were then congratulated by the President of the 
Convention. God was defied and challenged to vindicate 
his cause, and to prove his existence. The awful declara- 
tion " Death is an eternal sleep," was written in bold 
letters over the entrances to the cemeteries, and darkness 
and gloom covered the land. 

Thus the prophetic mould was filled, and the king, self- 
constituted, " exalted himself above every god." 



Verse 38, 
39. 



"We read, further, concerning this power, or king, in the 
thirty-eight and thirty-ninth verses, that "In his estate 
shall he honour 



the God of forces : and a god whom his 



364 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Evidence 
that 

atheistical 
France 
did accord- 
ing to this 
prophecy. 



Verse 40. 



King of the 
North and 
King of the 
South. 



Question. 



Answer. 



Question. 



fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, and silver, 
and with precious stones, and pleasant things. Thus 
shall he do in the most strong holds with a strange god, 
whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory : and 
he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide 
the land for gain." 

Atheistical France did according to this prophetic 
representation ; and, as evidence that it did, we have only 
to recall the fact that, when it was found that some form 
of worship must be adopted, or the nation would go down, 
a veiled female was brought into the convention and pro- 
claimed the Goddess of Reason ; personified by a harlot. 
She was taken to the Cathedral of Notre Dame, and exalted 
" to take the place of Deity ." And thus the " strange god" 
" whom the fathers knew not," was honored, and the true 
God's prophetic declarations were literally and remarkably 
fulfilled. 

In the fortieth verse this power is represented further as 
coming in contact with ' ' the king of the south " and ' ' the 
king of the north," as follows : — 

' ' And at the time of the end shall the king of the south 
push at him : and the king of the north shall come against 
him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, 
and with many ships." 

To understand this language, we must recall the fact 
that " the king of the south" represents the ruler of Egypt, 
which was the southern division of Alexander's Empire, 
and that ' ' the king of the north " represents the ruler of 
Syria, the northern division of that Grecian Empire. 

Did Atheistical France ever come in contact with 
Egypt ; and did the Egyptian ruler, the King of the South, 
" push at him," or make an effort to resist, that power? 

We saw that Napoleon Bonaparte, in command of forty 
thousand French soldiers, went down into Egypt in 1797, 
and conquered that country, they not being strong enough 
to resist him, though they made an effort to do so, and thus 
simply " pushed at him." 

Further, did ' ' the king of the north " ' ' come against 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



365 



Kins of the 

North 

noticed. 



The Sultan 
the King of 
the North. 



Question. 



Answer. 



him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, 
and with many ships ? " 

Before answering this question, we must notice " the 
king of the north," and understand what his position was 
at that time. 

We have already seen that the ruler of Syria is called 
' ' the king of the north ; " but at the time when Napoleon 
advanced into Egypt, and made his conquests, in 1797, 
and onward, there was no ruler residing in Syria ; but 
Syria was not without a ruler, as that country had been 
under the power of the Turks for some time, and had be- 
come a part of the Ottoman Empire, and was controlled 
by the Sultan of Turkey. Now if Syria's ruler is l ' the king 
of the north," no matter where he is located, or what his 
name is ; as long as he rules that northern division of 
Alexander's Empire, he is properly designated as "the 
king of the north." The Sultan of Turkey, therefore, was 
the "king of the north" at that time, and is still such, and 
will continue to be as long as he rules Syria. 

But did the Sultan come against this French power, 
which was headed by Napoleon Bonaparte, after that ambi- 
tious general had conquered Egypt ? 

We saw, when tracing the history of those times, that, 
after Napoleon had made his conquests in Egypt, he, in 
his dignity, then advanced into the territory of the Sul- 
tan, being ambitions to get possession of Constantino- 
ple, and to establish a grand and universal empire with 
himself at the head of it ; and he advanced toward Acre, 
in Syria, and as he came near to it he said to Murat, 
i <■ The fate op the East depends upon yon petty 
town." Proudly and energetically he marched his forces 
onward toward that town which was thus to decide the fate 
of the East ; and the fate of that Eastern country was de- 
cided, but not in favor of Napoleon, the would-be Monarch 
of the World. The Sultan, — " the king of the north, — 
whose territory he was attempting to invade, was prepared 
to resist him ; and with his mighty forces, " chariots " and 
" horsemen," he swiftly advanced to defend his dominions. 



366 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Daniel 11 : 
41-43. 



The 

Sultan's 
course 
considered 



Power over 
the treas- 
ures of 
Egypt. 



Verse 44. 



The Russians and the English came to the assistance of the 
Sultan, and their " many ships" of war grandly appeared 
before that sea-port town, to operate against the French 
leader. The decisive battle was fought ; Napoleon was de- 
feated, and, "for the first time in his life, sounded a re- 
treat." All this because ' ' the king of the north," whose ter- 
ritory he was invading, "came against him like a whirlwind, 
with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships." 

" And he" — the king of the north, — we read, further 
— " shall overflow and pass over," and that, — 

" He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many 
countries shall be overthrown : but these shall escape out 
of his hand, even Edom and Moab, and the chief of the 
children of Amnion. 

' c He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the coun- 
tries : and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 

' ' But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and 
of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt : and 
the Libyans and Ethiopians shall be at his steps." (Dan. 
11: 41, 42, 43.) 

What course did the Sultan pursue after defeating Napo^ 
leon ? Did he do as described in this prophecy ? 

Yes ; with his army " he overflowed and passed over the 
land of Palestine," and he entered "the land of Egypt," 
and conquered that country, and made the Egyptians trib- 
utary to himself, as we saw, and they were obliged to pay 
a certain amount of " gold and of silver " annually into the 
treasury of the Sultan, beside a large amount of wheat and 
of barley, " the most precious things of Egypt." 

And thus, according to the prophecy, he came to " have 
power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all 
the precious things of Egypt. He also gained sufficient 
power in Africa to have " the Libyans and Ethiopians" 
" at his steps" — under his control to do his bidding. 

In the next verse we read : ' ' But tidings out of the east 
and out of the north shall trouble him : therefore he shall ofo 
forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away 
many." 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



367 



Question. 

Dr. 

Clarke's 
comment. 



Question. 
Answer. 



What is to 
be the 
result ? 

Answer 

from 

prophecy. 



From 
history. 



"What does this statement indicate ? 

Dk. Adam Clarke, — in commenting upon this passage, 
before the events predicted therein had transpired, having 
taken the position that the Sultan of Turkey was ' ' the 
king of the north," as we have done, — says: "If the 
Turkish power be understood [in this forty-fourth verse], 
as in the preceding verses [to be the king of the north] , it 
may mean that the Persians on the east, and the Prussians 
on the north, will, at some time, greatly embarass the Ot- 
toman government." 

Did the time ever come when the Ottoman government 
was thus embarassed? We have seen, in tracing the his- 
tory of that government after the Sultan had gained his 
strong-hold in Egypt, that he finally became greatly 
troubled because of the condition of affairs in the east, and 
especially on account of the course pursued by the Rus- 
sians in the North, when the Czar, — after manoeuvring in 
every way possible to prevail upon the other nations to 
assist him in dividing up the Ottoman Empire, allowing 
him the possession of Constantinople, — failed to accom- 
plish his design, and then began to operate against the 
Sultan directly ; planning and scheming to strike the fatal 
blow which should destroy the Turkish government, before 
the other nations should be apprised of his course. Thus 
menaced and perplexed, the Ottoman ruler was involved 
in serious " trouble," as the prophecy represents. 

But what was to be the result of all this trouble and 
perplexity ? 

The prophecy says : " Therefore" — because of this — 
« < he " — the ' ' king of the north " — " shall go forth with 
great fury to destroy and utterly make away many." 

Did the Sultan of Turkey do thus ? We have seen that 
although Abdul Medjid, the reigning Sultan, hesitated at 
first to involve his people in war, he at last became so 
thoroughly aroused, because of the proceedings of the 
Czar, that he declared ivar against Russia, and rushed 
forth to the field of battle like a mad-man. His govern- 
ment was considered very weak, and he himself was called 



368 



THE WORLD'S GEE AT EMPIRES. 



The next 
prophetic 
utterance. 



"What the 
language 
implies. 



Question. 
Answer. 



Question. 



Answer. 



the " sick man ; " but notwithstanding his weakness, he 
seemed, as we have noticed, " like a sick man seized with 
an insane fit," when he so suddenly advanced upon Russia 
in the " fury" of his provoked wrath. 

England, France, and Sardinia became involved in his 
interests, and the terrible Crimean War ensued, during 
which about half a million of men were destroyed, as we 
have noted. 

Thus did he "go forth with great fury, to destroy and 
utterly make away many." 

The next prophetic utterance concerning the ' ' king of 
the north," is found in the forty-fifth verse, which reads : 
' ' And he shall plant the tabernacle of his palace between 
the seas, in the glorious holy mountain ; yet he shall come 
to his end, and none shall help him." 

This language implies that the Sultan will sometime 
leave Constantinople, and " plant the tabernacle of his 
palace," or make his temporary imperial residence, " be- 
tween the seas in the glorious holy mountain." 

Has he ever done so ? We answer, No ; for, ever since 
the Ottoman Empire was established, with its capital at 
Constantinople, in 1453, the Sultan has continued to fill 
the throne, until thirty-one Turks, bearing that title, have 
succeeded to the head of that government, including the 
present Sultan, Abdul Hamid II., who still continnes 
upon the Ottoman throne at Constantinople. Therefore, 
this prophecy is not yet fulfilled, but is a description of 
what lies before the Turkish Autocrat. 

We ask : Is there any prospect of the Turkish ruler ever 
leaving Constantinople ? 

We have . seen that he is hated by all the nations of 
Europe, and is considered a usurper upon European soil, 
and, that the only reason why he has been tolerated thus 
far, has been to prevent Russia from getting possession of 
his imperial city. 

We have also seen that he is in a perilous position 
to-day, because it is only a question of time and oppor- 
tunity, and all nations are likely to scramble for his terri- 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE.— DIVIDED. 



369 



Question. 



Prophetic 
answer. 



Holy 
Mount. 
Mount 
Zion. 



Where 
situated. 



Sultan 
likely to 
go there. 



What is to 
he expect- 
ed. 



tory, while driving him before them. His stay in Con- 
stantinople evidently cannot be long. 

He may be driven out by force of arms, or voluntarily 
flee, for fear of losing his life, for he is not only menaced 
by the nations, but his life is threatened by parties in his 
own dominion, and he is almost insane because of these 
surrounding circumstances. 

But where will he go if he leaves the grand capital of 
his Empire ? 

The prophecy states that " He will plant the tabernacle 
of his palace between the seas, in the glorious Holy Moun- 
tain." 

But where is that glorious Holy Mountain ? There is 
only one mountain which has been called " holy," and 
that is Mount Zion, the highest and most southerly 
mount of Jerusalem. The Mohammedan Mosque of 
Omar stands over the tomb of David, and near the south- 
erly brow of this mountain, which is described as being 
" Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth." 

This mount is situated " between," or in the midst of, 
" the seas." The Sea of Galilee lies to the north-east, 
the Dead Sea to the south-east, and the Mediterranean 
Sea lies on the ivest. And so this glorious Holy Mountain 
is " between the seas." 

But is the Sultan likely to go into this region of Mount 
Zion ? 

We have seen that he is more likely to go there than 
anywhere else, because he is likely to find a temporary 
home under the shadow of the Mosque of Omar, where 
he has control ; and he has recently given orders to 
have the tax-money, which it has been customary to send 
to Constantinople, retained in Jerusalem, and used for 
repairs and improvements there, which is evidence that 
the Turkish ruler has a special interest in that direction, 
for some reason. 

If he should go to Jerusalem, are we to expect him to make 
that city the seat of his Empire, and to see him established 
there in his glory, as he has been in Constantinople ? 



370 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Comes to 
his end. 

Doom 
sealed. 



What 
follows. 
Daniel 12 : 
1,2. 



At that 
time. 

Michael 
stands up. 

Time of 
trouble. 



Reference 
to the 
history. 

Prospect. 



Deliver- 
ance for 
some. 



The prophecy says, " he shall come to his end and none 
shall help him ; " and so he cannot be thus established. 

His doom will be sealed when he leaves Constantinople. 
He will not find any to < ' help him " longer. He has been 
bolstered up as a " sick man," and helped, about as long 
as it is possible to "help him;" and evidently he must 
soon go down, — or " come to his end," and die. 

What is to follow his end ? The next events are graph- 
ically pictured in the first and second verses of the twelfth 
chapter of Daniel, which tells us that, — 

" At that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince 
which standeth for the children of thy people : and there 
shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there 
was a nation even to that time : and at that time thy peo- 
ple shall be delivered, every one that shall be found writ- 
ten in the book. 

' ' And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth 
shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame 
and everlasting contempt." 

We are here told that " At that time" when he — the 
Sultan of Turkey, or king of the north, — " shall come to 
his end," "Michael" — God's great arch-angel — shall 
" stand up, the great prince which standeth for" Daniel's 
"people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as 
never was since there was a nation to that same time." 
Is there any prospect of this event being near ? 

We have seen that an angry cloud is gathering in black- 
ness and gloominess over the nations of the old world, 
threatening them with general war, which must burst over 
them in all its fury soon, and the Ottoman Empire must then 
go down in the storm, like a foundered ship. If such a storm 
does burst upon them, it is evident that it will be more 
awful and terrible than anything which has occurred in the 
history of the world, and the " time of trouble" will be 
thus introduced. 

But Daniel is told that his people ' ' shall be delivered " 
" at that time," " every one that shall be found written in 
the book." 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— DIVIDED. 



371 



Book of 
life. 



There is a book which contains the names of the candi- 
dates for eternal life. It is called the Book of Life, and, 
for all whose names are "written" therein there will be 
deliverance from the terrible ' ' trouble " which is to come 
upon the people of this world at last, who are awaiting 
their doom. 



To the res- 
urrection. 



This brings us to the resurrection of the dead, and the 
scenes of the judgment; for here we read, "And many 
of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, 
some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlast- 
ing contempt." 



Prophetic 
chain. 



We have thus traced this long prophetic chain, link by 
link, from beginninc; to end, and find that while it extends 

7 CO 7 

beyond our own time into the future, there are but two or 
three links between us and the resurrection of the dead at 
the great day of God. 



Solemnity 
of the 
times. 



Oh ! the solemnity of these times : and yet how few 



realize their awful meaning ! 



Verge of 
the Judg- 
ment. 



We are on the verge of the Judgment day ; and yet how 
few are ready to stand the final test ! 



Subject 
left at this 
point. 



At this solemn -and important point we leave the sub- 
ject, to trace in the lectures which are to follow several 
other prophetic lines, which will show more fully what 
place our times occupy in this world's history, and what 
lies before us. For it is evident that — 



" We are living, we are dwelling 
In a grand and awful time ; 
In an age on ages telling ; 
To be living is sublime." 



UECTUBE VI. 



THE EOMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 

THE SEVEN SEALS, REV., CHAPS. VI. & VII. 

introduc- In the fourth and fifth lectures of this course, we have 

traced the history of the Roman Empire, from the foun- 
dation of the City of Rome to the present time, covering 
a period of about two thousand six hundred and thirty- 
seven years. 

We have also noticed the prophetic representations and 
declarations of the book of Daniel, concerning this Em- 
pire, and have seen how remarkably they have been ful- 
filled up to the present time, and that what remains to be 
fulfilled, extends but a little way into the future, although 
they reach to the end of time. 

But as we have stated, there are more prophecies relat- 
ing to this Fourth Empire than to all the others. There- 
fore we purpose to give them special attention, and to 
devote this lecture, and the one which is to follow it, par- 
ticularly to the consideration of prophetic Symbols and 
declarations which have prefigured and foretold the his- 
tory of this Empire, beside what has already been noticed. 

These prophecies are found in the book of Revela- 
tion, — the last book of the Bible. 

As we have previously stated, the wonderful symbols of 
this book were pictured to John in his great Apocalyptic 
vision, while in his banishment on the Island of Patmos, 



374 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Daniel. 
John. 



during the reign of Domitian, the eleventh Roman Em- 
peror, in the year A.D. 95. 

Daniel, whose visions we have been considering, and 
John, whose visions we are now to consider, were God's 
two great, witnessing recorders, and the records of what 
they saw and heard constitute the two books of symbolic 
representation, — Daniel and Revelation. 



Neglected 
book. 



Mysterious 

and 

hidden. 



Not for 
men to 
know. 

Revelation 

Revealed, 

unfolded. 

What is its 
authority ? 

Revelation 
of John. 



The Reve- 
lation of 
Jesus 
Christ. 



This book of Revelation is the neglected book of the 
Bible. The majority of people refuse to read it, and a 
large number who claim to have been called by God to 
preach his word, leave this last book of the Holy Scrip- 
tures closed, and claim that its contents are " too myste- 
rious and hidden" to be understood. They say that " No 
one has a right to read it with a view to comprehend its 
wonders ; " that " It contains the deep mysteries of God," 
which are " not for men to know." 

But the very name of this book implies otherwise. 
Revelation, — something revealed — something unfolded 
and made plain to the understanding. 

But what authority have we for this Revelation ? Who 
is responsible for its contents ? 

We are told by the translators that this is "The Reve- 
lation of St. John the Divine." But it is not "the 
Revelation of St. John the Divine." We have higher 
authority for this book than John ; and that authority is 
declared in the introductory verse of the first chapter of 
this Revelation. It is: "The Revelation or JESUS 
CHRIST, which GOD gave unto Him, to show unto 
his servants things which must shortly come to pass ; and," 
further, that " He sent and signified it by his angel unto 
his servant John." GOD is, therefore, the author of this 
book ; and " JESUS CHRIST " is the one to whom " God 
gave the Revelation" and Jesus Christ sent and signified it 
unto John, " who bare record of the word of God, and of 
the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he 
saw." (Rev. 1: 2.) 

All the responsibility John had concerning this matter, 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



375 



Proper 
title. 



then, was to make a faithful record of the Word of God, 
and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that 
he saw ; and we are here told that he did so, and, as the 
result, we have this remarkable Book of Revelation. 
The proper title of this book, then, is, — 

THE REVELATION 



OF 



Have we a 
right to 
read it ? 

Answer in 
3rd verse. 



JESUS CHEIST: 

and not of St. John the Divine. 

But have we any right to read this book, and to attempt 
to understand its teachings ? 

The answer to this question is given in the third verse 
of this first chapter, where Ave read : 

" Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the 
words of this propliecy, and keep those things which are 
written therein ; for the time is at hand." 



Author- 
ized to read 
it. 



With these words of blessing pronounced upon us, we 
feel authorized to read this book and to investigate its 
meaning, regardless of all that men may say in opposition. 



John's 
position. 

9th verse. 



Location of 
Patmos. 



John in the 
Spirit. 



In the ninth verse of the first chapter John defines his 
position at the time when he received this Revelation from 
Jesus Christ, through the angel. 

He says: "I John, who also am your brother, and 
companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience 
of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for 
the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ." 

We have become familiar with the location of the Island 
or Patmos, upon which John was living in exile. It is 
just off 'the coast of Asia Minor in the Mediterranean 
Sea. Although in exile, having been banished by the Ro- 
man Emperor to that island, John, "the beloved disciple," 
did not forget his devotions ; and he says : " I was in the 
Spirit on the Lord's day." 



376 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Lord's day 



Verse 11. 



Seven 
churches 
of Asia 
Minor. 



Second 
chart. 



Verses 
12-16. 



Verses 17, 
18. 



The Lord's Day was observed by that faithful servant 
of Christ, and on that day which commemorates the res- 
urrection of his Master from the dead, he "was in the 
spirit," offering up his devotion to God ; and as he was 
thus engaged in prayer, he says; "I heard behind me a 
great voice, as of a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and 
Omega, the first and the last : and what thou seest, write 
in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are 
in Asia ; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Perga- 
mos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Phil- 
adelphia, and unto Laodicea." 

These ' ' seven churches " were located in the seven 
cities of Asia Minor, bearing these respective names, as 
we have noticed ; and it was to them that John was 
directed to send what he should " write in a book," de- 
scriptive of what he saw. When John heard the voice as 
of a trumpet, speaking thus unto him, he was astonished, 
and "turned to see the voice that spake" unto him. 

On our second chart of symbols we have John repre- 
sented as he first heard the voice, and, astonished, turned 
to see who had spoken to him. "And, being turned," 
he says : "I saw seven golden candlesticks [or lamps] ; 
and in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto 
the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, 
and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head 
and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow ; and 
his eyes were as a flame of fire ; and his feet like unto fine 
brass, as if they burned in a furnace ; and his voice as the 
sound of many waters. And he had in his right hand 
seven stars : and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged 
sword; and his countenance was as the sun shineth in his 
strength." 

After giving this wonderfully glowing description of 
the one whom he saw in the midst of the seven candle- 
sticks," he says : " And when I saw him, I fell at his feet 
as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying 
unto me, Fear not ; I am the first and the last : I am he 
that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



377 



Jesus 
Christ and 
his words. 



First and 
last. 

Liveth, 
and was 
dead. 
Keys of 
hades. 
Verse 19. 



Verse 20. 
Mystery of 
the seven 
stars and 
the seven 
candle- 
sticks. 
Seven 
stars, seven 
angels. 
Seven 
candle- 
sticks, 
seven 
churches. 
Second and 
Third 
chapters. 

Fourth 
chapter. 
Patmoic 
seer. 
Verse 1. 



evermore, Amen ; and have the keys of hell and of 
death." 

This one so terrible to behold, before whom John fell, 
and who uttered such wonderful declarations concerning 
himself, was The Lord Jesus Christ. There is only 
One Being- in all the universe of God who could truthfully 
utter such words, and that One is He. 

He is the " first and the last." 

He " liveth and was dead, and, behold," He is " alive 
for evermore" and " has the keys of hell [Hades'] and 

Of DEATH." 

After telling John who he was, he said to him : "Write 
the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, 
and the things which shall be hereafter" 

By these words John was made to know that what he was 
to " write" not only had reference to what he had seen, 
and the things which then existed, but also related to the 
future, to " the things which were to be " thereafter. 

In the last verse of this^rs^ chapter, Jesus gave John a 
little insight into this symbolic representation, by explain- 
ing " the mystery of the seven stars in his right hand, and 
the seven golden candlesticks." 

He said : < ' The seven stars are the angels [pastors] of 
the seven churches, and the seven candlesticks which thou 
sawest are the seven churches." 

Then, passing into the second and third chapters of this 
symbolic book, we have a description of the special mes- 
sages which John was told to " send unto the angels 
[pastors] of the seven churches." 

Then, in the fourth chapter, we have another vivid 
description of what this "Patmoic Seer " saw in his vision. 
He exclaims: "After this I looked, and behold, a door 
was opened in heaven : and the first voice which I heard, 
was as it were of a trumpet talking with me ; which said, 
Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must 
be hereafter." 

The expression, (( I will show thee things which must 
be hereafter" is very emphatic : several times similar 



378 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Character 
of this 
revelation. 

Graphic 

description 

continued. 

Verses 

2-11. 



Chapter 5, 
verse 1. 



words have been used, which show the character of this 
Eevelation. It reveals the future, and represents, before- 
hand, the things which were to transpire. 

This graphic description is thus continued : — 

' ' And immediately I was in the Spirit : and behold, a 
throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne. 

" And he that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a 
sardine stone : and there was a rainbow round about the 
throne in sight like unto an emerald. 

"And round about the throne were four and twenty 
seats ; and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders 
sitting, clothed in white raiment ; and they had on their 
heads crowns of gold. 

" And out of the throne proceeded lightnings, and thun- 
derings, and voices. And there were seven lamps of fire 
burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of 
God. 

« ' And before the throne there was a sea of glass like 
unto crystal : And in the midst of the throne, and round 
about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and 
behind. 

" And the first beast was like a lion, and the second 
beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, 
and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. 

" And the four beasts had each of them six wings about 
him ; and they were full of eyes within : and they rest not 
day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Al- 
mighty, which was, and is, and is to come. 

"And when those beasts give glory, and honour, and 
thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever 
and ever, 

" The four and twenty elders fall down before him that 
sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever 
and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, 

"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and 
honour, and power : for thou hast created all things, and 
for thy pleasure they are and were created." 

And then, in \he first verse of the fifth chapter, he further 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



379 



Chart. 



Ancient 

style. 

Roll. 



Ancient 
books. 



Seven 
seals, seven 
sections, or 
volumes. 



Question, 
"Who is 
worthy to 
open the 
book ?" 



John 
weeps. 



Told not to 

weep. 

Lion. 



says : ' ' And I saw in the right hand of him that sat upon 
the throne a book, written within ; and on the back side 
sealed with seven seals." 

This was a wonderful scene, and could not be repre- 
sented in all its vividness by an artist ; but we have this 
word-painting which fills us with awe and wonder. No 
mortal, unassisted by divine power, could ever have con- 
structed such a stirring description. 

We have represented upon our chart, to aid us in our 
conception of it, simply a throne, with One sitting upon 
it, holding in his "right hand" "a book," which is "sealed 
with seven seals." 

This book is of ancient style, in the form of a roll ; and 
to those who are familiar with the books of ancient times 
this chart-representation is plain, and easily understood. 

Anciently, books were written upon parchments, or skins 
of animals. They were written on one side and then 
rolled up, fastened with a band, and often sealed, espe- 
cially if anything of importance was written therein. 

This book is described as being sealed with seven seals, 
implying that it is in seven distinct sections, or volumes, or 
seven volumes in one book, each being sealed separately. 

When John saw the throne, and its Occupant holding 
this sealed book in his hand, he " saw a strong angel, pro- 
claiming with a loud voice," and asking : " Who is worthy 
to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?" 

And there was "no one" "in heaven, nor in earth, 
neither under the earth," who was " able to open the book, 
neither to look thereon." 

Then John "wept much because no man was found 
worthy to open," and to read the book, " neither to look 
thereon." But in the midst of his weeping, one of the 
"four and twenty elders " said unto him, " Weep not ; 
behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Eoot of David 
hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven 
seals thereof." 

Then, in the midst of his tears, he anxiously looked to 
see the wonderful book opened ; and as he looked he saw 



380 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Lamb. 



Rejoicings. 



Lion and 
Lamb both 
symbolic 
of Jesus 
Christ. 



a scene which he thus describes, saying : — " I beheld, and 
lo in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in 
the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb, as it had been slain, 
having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven 
spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. 

"And he came and took the book out of the ri^ht hand 
of him that sat upon the throne." 

John was told that " the Lion " should open the book, 
but when he looked he " saw a Lamb ;" "and lie came and 
took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon 
the throne," and then he proceeded to open it, in the midst 
of rejoicings in heaven- and upon the earth, when "ten 
thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands " 
shouted, " Worthy is the Lamb that was slain." 

But why was John told that the Lion should open that 
book, when the Lamb did it? 

It was simply because the Lion and the Lamb are both 
used as symbols to represent the same person ; the one 
who opened the book. The Lord Jesus Christ, who is 
thus represented, in the grandeur of his strength and 
power, is represented properly as " The Lion of the tribe 
of Juda ;" but before he could have power to open the 
book he must shed his blood, and was therefore " Led as a 
Lamb to the slaughter," and his precious blood was shed 
to atone for sin ; and so, both as " the Lion of the tribe 
of Juda," and the " Lamb slain from the foundation of the 
world," Jesus came to open the book and to make known 
its contents. 



Brought to 
the subject 
of this 
lecture. 

Rev. 6, 

7,8. 



Four 

beasts. 



This summary brings us properly to the subject of this 
lecture — the opening of these seven seals, as described in 
the sixth, seventh, and eighth chapters of Revelation ; and 
in order that the subject may be properly before our 
minds, we quote the description in full, and then enquire 
into its meaning. 

As we read the description of the opening of these 
seals, we shall notice that, as the first ones are opened, 
the four peculiar beasts, or living creatures, which are 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



381 



In a line at 
the top of 
the chart. 



Six-wing- 
ed beasts. 



described as being around the throne, each having six 
wings about him, having eyes before and behind, and being 
full of eyes within, — are represented as calling the atten- 
tion of John to the opening of the seals in their order. 
Because of this, we have these four beasts arranged in a 
line at the top of the chart in the order in which they are 
described. 

1st, The one like a lion. 

2d, The one like a calf. 

3d, The one having a man's face. 

4th, The flying eagle. 

Under this line of six-winged beasts, we have the scenes 
which John beheld, as the first four seals were opened, in 
their order. This is because of the relation these symbols 
sustain to each other in the events which they represent. 



Sixth 
chapter. 
First seal 
opened. 



Second 

seal 

opened. 



Third seal 
opened. 



Fourth 

seal 

opened. 



In the sixth chapter, John says : " I saw when the Lamb 
had opened one of the seals" — the first one — "and I 
heard, as it were, the noise of thunder, one of the four 
beasts, the first owe, which "was like a lion," saying, 
Come and see." " And I saw, and behold a white horse ; 
and he that sat on him had a bow ; and a crown was given 
unto him ; and he went forth conquering and to conquer." 

" And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the 
second beast [which "was like a calf"] say, Come and 
see. And there went out another horse that was red : and 
power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from 
the earth, and that they should kill one another : and there 
was given unto him a great sword. 

" And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the 
third beast [" which had a face as a man"] say, Come and 
see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse ; and he that sat 
on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a 
voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of 
wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a 
penny ; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine." 

* ' And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the 
fourth beast [which was like a flying eagle] say, Come 



382 



THE WORLD'S GREAT E3IPIRES. 



Fifth seal 
opened. 



Sixth seal 
opened. 



and see. And I looked, and beheld a pale horse : and 
his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed 
with him. And power was given unto them over the 
fourth part of the earth, to kill with the sword, and with 
hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the 
earth. 

" And when he had opened the fifth seal," — no beast was 
there to say " Come and see ;" but John says, further : — 
' ' I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain 
for the word of God, and for the testimony which they 
held. 

" And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, 
O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge 
our blood on them that dwell on the earth ? 

" And white robes were given unto every one of them ; 
and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a 
little season, until their fellowservants also and their 
brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be 
fulfilled." 

The sixth seal was opened, and he said : " And I beheld 
when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo there was a 
great earthquake ; and the sun became black as sackcloth 
of hair, and the moon became as blood ; 

" And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a 
fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a 
mighty wind. 

' ' And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled 
together ; and every mountain and island were moved out 
of their places. 

"And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the 
rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and 
every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in 
the dens and in the rocks of the mountains ; 

"And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and 
hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, 
and from the wrath of the Lamb ; 

' ' For the great day of his wrath is come ; and who 
shall be able to stand ? " 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



383 



Seventh 
chapter. 

Three 

verses. 



Seventh 

seal 

opened. 



Subject 
before us. 
What is 
meant ? 
Symbols 
must be 
examined. 
Symbols 
familiar. 

New ones. 
Great care. 



First 4 
beasts. 
Sacred 
position. 
Full of 
eyes. 

Six wings. 
Not all 
alike. 
Lion, calf, 
man's face, 
frying 
eagle, 

Prominent 



In the first three verses of the seventh chapter, we have 
the description of another symbol, which John saw under 
the sixth seal, or between its opening and the opening of 
the seventh seal, where he says: "After these things 
(the things just described,) I saw four angels, standing on 
the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of 
the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor 
on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel 
ascending from the east, having the seal of the living 
God : and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, 
to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 
saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, 
till we have sealed the servants of our God in their fore- 
heads." 

Then, in the first verse of the eighth chapter, we have 
the description of the opening of the seventh seed, as fol- 
lows : " And when he had opened the seventh seal, there 
was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour." 

Having the subject now clearly before us, we inquire, 
What do these things mean? And as Ave do so, we must 
examine these peculiar symbols, which have been de- 
scribed, and which we have represented upon the Chart. 

We have dealt with symbols so extensively during this 
course of lectures that they have become quite familiar, 
and yet here are new ones introduced, which are unlike 
anything we have considered before ; and great care is 
required in order to comprehend their meaning. 

First, we have four peculiar beasts, which are described 
as occupying a sacred position around the throne of God, 
and as " having eyes before and behind, and being full of 
eyes within," and each of them as having "six wings about 
him." These beasts are not alike in appearance, only in 
each having the " eyes" and " six wings." One is " like 
a lion," another "like a calf; " the third has " a face as a 
man," and the fourth " is like a flying eagle." 

These symbolic beasts are prominent in the scenes repre- 
sented, and, as we have seen, they sustain a peculiar rela- 
tionship to the opening of the first four seals, as, in their 



384 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Must be 
understood 



Beasts 
symbolic. 

Daniel's 
vision. 

Great 
Empires, 



On earth. 
Earthly 
govern- 
ments. 
These 
about the 
throne. 
Eyes. 



Six wings, 
swiftness 
and 
protection. 

Same thing 

by each. 

What 

these 

beasts 

represent. 



Christian 
church. 

Four 
periods. 

To be 

proved. 



order, from first to last, they call attention to the seals as 
they are opened ; and must be understood, in order to 
fully comprehend the symbols which appear under the 
seals, and to which these beasts are represented as direct- 
ing the attention of John. 

These beasts must be symbolic ; but, what do they rep- 
resent ? 

We have considered the beasts of Daniel's visions, and 
have seen that in their peculiarities, fierce and savage, they 
properly represented the Great Empires or the World 
in their particular and marked characteristics, but none of 
them occupied the position of these four. They appeared 
upon the earth, to represent earthly governments ; but these 
are ' ' about the throne " of God, and they are ' full of eyes," 
which show prospective, retrospective and inspective sight 
and understanding. They have each six icings, which in- 
dicate swiftness of flight, and the protection and shelter 
. afforded to all who come under their power. 

From the position and character of these beasts, we 
conclude that the same thing is represented by each of 
them, but at different times and under different circum- 
stances, as is indicated by the changes in them. 

Now, as these beasts are not situated to represent civil 
power, or, political government, because of their sacred 
position, we conclude that they must represent ecclesiasti- 
cal power, or, Church government ; for, as we have noticed 
before, there are only these two great powers by which 
the world is controlled ; and if these beasts represent any- 
thing, they must represent one of these two powers ; and, 
as they are not in a position to properly represent civil 
power, we feel authorized to place them as representative 
of ecclesiastical power ; and it is evident that they relate to 
the Christian Church, and represent its history during 
four different periods, as indicated by the four different 
beasts. 

Having come to this conclusion, and taken this position, 
we shall prove the consistency of it as we proceed with the 
subject. 



THE R OMAN EMPIRE — PR OPHE TICAL. 



385 



Associated 
with the 
seals. 



A horse. 

Four 

horses 

Displayed. 

Difference 
in color 
and rider. 



What is 
repre- 
sented. 

Symbolic. 



Identified 
with civil 
power. 



The alter- 
native. 
Ecclesias- 
tical, or 
civil. 

Horses 

represent 

civil power 

Same 

power in 

four 

periods. 



These four beasts, as we have noticed, are intimately 
associated with the opening of the first four seals, and the 
sjmibols seen under them ; they must, therefore, be con- 
sidered together. 

As we give attention to the opening of the seals, we see 
that a horse appears, with his rider, under each of the four, 
until four horses are displayed before us, corresponding 
with the four beasts, which say : " Come and see." The 
only difference there is in' these four symbols, which ap- 
pear under the four seals, is, in the color of the horses and 
in the character and position of the riders. We therefore 
conclude that they all represent the same thing, but at dif- 
ferent times, and under different circumstances, as indi- 
cated by the changes in the horses and their riders. 

We have decided that the four six-ivinged beasts, with 
their eyes, represent the Christian Church in four different 
periods ; now we want to know what these four horses, 
with their riders, represent. 

They are evidently symbolic, and must symbolically 
represent something ; and as we have read the description 
of them, we have noticed expressions which identify them 
with civil power, or political government, as in the de- 
scription of thsfii'st one, when we read that the rider upon 
the " white horse " " had a bow," — an implement of civil 
warfare, — " and a crown was given unto him," — a dia- 
dem of imperial power, — " and he went forth conquering 
and to conquer," — to engage in war and conquest. 

We should not be justified in applying such symbolic terms 
to the Church, because they are not ecclesiastic emblems. 

If they cannot properly represent ecclesiastical power, 
or the Church, they must represent civil power, or polit- 
ical government, because they must represent one or the 
other of these powers. 

If these ho?'ses represent civil power or government, 
they must represent the same power, or government, in 
four different periods, and under such circumstances as are 
indicated by the color of each horse, and the character and 
position of each rider. 



386 

Next point 



Symbols 
discussed. 



Illustra- 
tions. 



Great 
Britain. 
Lion 
ensign. 



The 

British 

Lion. 

Russia. 

Bear 

ensign. 

TJ. S. A. 

Eagle 
ensign. 



Russian 
Bear. 
American 
Eagle. 

The gov- 
ernment 
symbol- 
ized by 
the horse, 
in the same 
manner. 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 

The next point to settle is, What government is here 
represented ? 

We have noticed before, that different governments have 
had peculiar symbols, and ensigns, by which they have 
been represented, and that even at the present time the 
principal existing nations have their symbols by which 
they represent the peculiarity of their governments, which 
are often found upon their national ensigns. 

If a picture of a lion, a bear, and an eagle, were dis- 
played before us, and we were told that they were symbols 
of governments which are in existence, and we had no 
knowledge of governmental symbols or ensigns, we should 
be obliged to examine the symbols and ensigns by which 
the different nations have chosen to represent themselves, 
in order to know what governments these emblems symbol- 
ize. Then, as we carefully looked over the many ensigns 
of the world, and found that the government of Great 
Britain had adopted the Lion as its symbol, we should 
readily understand that whenever the lion was displayed 
as a symbol, or upon ah ensign, it represented that gov- 
ernment, and could be properly called, as it is, "The 
British Lion." 

Then as we looked further, and found that the govern- 
ment of Russia had chosen the Bear as its symbol, and 
that the United States of America had adopted the 
Eagle as its symbol and ensign, we should know that 
whenever the Bear was displayed as a symbol, it repre- 
sented the Russian government, and whenever the Eagle 
was displayed, it represented the government of Amer- 
ica ; and the familiar expressions, " The Russian Bear " 
and " The American Eagle," are always reminders of the 
governments which these symbols represent. 

Now we purpose in this same manner to find what gov- 
ernment is represented by the horse, which is introduced 
as a symbol in connection with the opening of the first four 
seals; and as we do so, we inquire if any government has 
ever chosen the horse as its symbol, or ensign? In exam- 



TEE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



387 



Ensigns 
examined. 



The 

dragon, 

the eagle, 

and the 

horse, 

Roman 

ensigns. 

The horse 
identified. 



Four 

symbolic 

horses. 

Four 

periods of 

Roman 

history. 



Roman 
Empire, 
and 

Christian 
Church. 



Roman 
Empire 
before the 
Church. 

Jesus 
Christ 
born. 

Church 
established 



The 

history of 
both 
parallel. 



The 

Church. 
First 
period 
symbol- 
ized by the 
six-winged 
Lion. 



ining the symbols of the governments which have existed, 
we find that the Roman government adopted the horse 
for its symbol, which has been placed upon its ensign, be- 
side having chosen several other symbols of its power and 
position. The Dragon, the Eagle and the Horse have 
all been used as Roman symbols, or ensigns. The horse 
having been a prominent Roman symbol, and finding the 
horse introduced as a symbol in connection with this sub- 
ject, we reasonably conclude that the horse is identified 
with the Roman government, and if so, four periods of its 
history are here represented by the four horses which 
appear under these seals. 

By these four symbolic horses we have, then, repre- 
sented, four periods of Roman history, corresponding with 
four periods of Church history, signified, as we have no- 
ticed, by the four beasts, which call attention to the scenes 
in which the horses are represented in their order. 

It is evident from the symbols that both the Roman Em- 
pire and the Christian Church are thus represented, from 
the commencement of their history onward, through four 
different periods. 

The Roman Empire was established and its history 
commenced a short time before the establishment of the 
Christian Church ; but in the days of its glory and dur- 
ing the reign of its first emperor, Jesus Christ, the head 
and foundation of this Church, was born ; and soon the 
Church was established and its power began to be realized, 
and from the time when the Church of Christ became fully 
established, in the midst of the glory and prosperity of the 
Roman Empire, the history of both has been parallel, and, 
during four particular and definite periods, the Church and 
the Empire sustained a peculiar relationship to each other, 
as we have seen in tracing their history. 

The Christian Church, during the first period of its 
history, according to the position we have taken, is sym- 
bolized, or represented, by the first six-winged beast, 
which " was like a lion." 



388 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Is it a 
proper 
symbol ? 

Answer 
and reason 



The 
Church, 
thus 

founded. 
Fitly- 
repre- 
sented. 



"White 
horse. 



Roman 
Empire 
symbol- 
ized in 
four 
periods. 
To be 
tested. 



But is this six-winged Lion a proper symbol by which to 
represent that Church during that period ? 

Yes ! for Jesus Christ, — " The ' Lion ' of the tribe 
of Judah" — founded this Church; and after he had laid 
the solid foundation on which the structure was to be 
builded, and had ascended into heaven, His disciples, im- 
bued with Divine unction, went forth as bold and courage- 
ous as a lion, to preach the gospel and to build up the 
Church. They were persecuted by the Jews, and scat- 
tered abroad; but, undaunted, they "went everywhere 
preaching the word," until Churches were established in 
many Countries and Provinces of the Roman Empire. 

Notwithstanding the heathenism of that Empire, the fol- 
lowers of Christ were allowed to carry forward their great 
work unmolested and undisturbed by the government. 

Churches were raised up in Asia Minor, in Macedonia 
and Greece, on the Island of Crete, and even in the City 
of Rome itself, — the World's Capital. 

The Church prospered ; her courage was wonderful, 
and her work was accomplished with great boldness and 
energy. 

This Church thus founded by ' ' The Lion of the tribe of 
Judah, and built up by His lion-like, bold and courageous 
followers, could not have been more fittingly represented 
in any other way, during the first part of its history, than 
by this beast-symbol, — the six-winged Lion, — which 
speaks, as the first seal is opened, saying, "Come and see.'' 

When this Lion, the first "one of the four" beasts, thus 
said, "Come and see," John "saw, and behold a white 
horse ; and he that sat on him had a bow ; and a crown 
was given unto him ; and he went forth conquering and to 
conquer." 

As we have already stated that the Roman Empire is 
symbolized by the horse, and its history during four differ- 
ent periods is represented by this symbol, which is seen 
under the first four seals, we now come to test the matter, 
and to prove whether this first sj^mbolic scene can be prop- 
erly applied to this empire in the first period of its history. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



389 



This 

symbolic 

horse. 

Represents 
this empire 

Color of 

each horse 

mentioned, 

symbolic. 

First 

horse, 

white. 



White a 
symbol of 
victory, 
etc. 



Suitable 
emblem. 



First 
period of 
the Empire 



Existed in 
prosperity. 
Temple of 
Janus 
closed. 



Open in 
war. 

Closed in 
peace. 



The one 

who sits 
upon the 
horse. 
Significant 



A rider 
controls ; 
directs ; 
supported ; 
carried. 

Horse and 
rider. 



Horse, 

Imperial 

Rome. 



Having seen that the horse was a prominent Roman 
symbol, we are prepared to identify this symbolic horse 
with the Roman government, and to appreciate the signifi- 
cant fact that this ' ' horse "-symbol clearly represents this 
empire. 

The color of each horse is particularly mentioned, and 
is, therefore, as symbolic as the horse himself. The horses 
are white, red, black and pale. The first horse is white; 
and as each color is significant, the white must have its 
peculiar meaning. Now what does it signify? 

White is a symbol of victory, prosperity and peace. 

Did this Roman Empire enjoy the triumphs of victory, 
and rejoice in prosperity and peace, during the first period 
of its history? If so, then the " white horse " is a suitable 
emblem of the empire at that time ; and as we have traced 
the history of this empire we have seen that the first period 
of its history was its most prosperous period. 

Victory having been gained over every foe, the Roman 
Empire existed in prosperity and peace for years. Even 
the temple of the god of war — Janus — was closed ; an 
event which only occurred three times in the history of the 
Roman government. This temple, in the City of Rome, 
was always kept open in time of war and closed in time of 
peace ; and the fact of its being closed at this time is a sig- 
nal evidence of the peace Avhich then prevailed. We there- 
fore have no difficulty in applying this white-horse symbol 
to the Roman Empire in the first period of its history. 

We now notice the one who sits upon this "white horse," 
and inquire what he represents, as he is so minutely de- 
scribed. He must be as .significant, in his position and pe- 
culiar characteristics, as the horse on which he is seated. 

This one sits upon the horse, as a rider ; and a rider di- 
rects and controls the horse ; while the horse supports and 
carries the rider. 

Now as we have the horse and his rider both in the sym- 
bol, and have seen that the horse represents the govern- 
ment of Imperial Rome in the first period of its history, we 
readily see that this rider, who directs and controls the 



390 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



The rider 
represents 
the ruler. 

Descrip- 
tion of this 
rider. 

Bow a 
symbol of 
warfare. 
A "crown" 
of kingly- 
power. 
Had a bow 
Crown 
given. 

"What this 
indicates. 



Instru- 
mental in 
establish- 
ing the 
Empire. 

First 

crowned 

ruler. 



Question. 



Answer. 



Boast of a 

grand 

republic. 

Julius 
Ctesar. 
War and 
conquest. 
Hoped for 
the crown. 

Not given 
to him. 

Caius 

Octavius, 

called 

Octavius 
Caesar. 



horse, must represent the one who directs and controls this 
government, while he is supported and carried by it. 
Therefore the rider properly symbolizes the ruler, or em- 
peror, at the head of this Great Empire. 

We are told that this rider "had a bow;" that "a 
crown was given unto him ;" and that " he went forth con- 
quering and to conquer." " A bow" is a symbol of war- 
fare ; and " a crown" is a symbol of kingly, or imperial 
power. 

The rider " had a bow," and " a crown was given unto 
him." 

This indicates that, with his implements of warfare, he 
should, by war and conquest, fight his way to the crown; 
and that it should be, finally, "given unto him." 

If he fought his way to where < ' a crown was given unto 
him," he must have been instrumental in establishing the 
empire, the crown of which he receives ; as this symbol 
must, evidently, represent the first crowned ruler in the 
empire, — the one to whom the "crown was" really 
"given" when the government became imperial, — and 
his successors, for a certain period. 

But : Did any ruler at the head of the Roman govern- 
ment ever fight his way to the crown, and was a crown 
given unto him ? 

We have seen in tracing the history of the Romans, 
that, just before their great and universal empire was 
erected, they boasted of a grand republic, and were posi- 
tively opposed to a monarchical form of government, 
and that Julius Caesar aspired to the crown ; and 
by war and conquest, that he advanced until he came to 
the time when he hoped to receive the royal diadem, and 
to be crowned emperor of Rome. But the crown was 
not "given unto him" "He stumbled and fell, pierced 
with twenty-three wounds, and left Rome still a Republic. 
But, as we saw, his nephew Caius Octavius, whom he had 
adopted, and thereby placed in a position to succeed him in 
the government, appeared among the Romans as Octa- 
vius Cesar, and claimed the control of the government 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



391 



War and 
conquest. 



Title, 

"August." 

Empire 

erected. 

Caesar 

Augustus. 

" Crown 

given unto 

him." 



Conquered 
all. 

Rome in 
prosperity. 

The white 
horse and 
his rider, 
significant 
symbols. 



as the legal successor of Julius Caesar, and, although he 
met much opposition, yet, by war and conquest he over- 
came his enemies, and stood at last, unrivalled, at the head 
of the government. Then because of his wonderful success, 
his exalted position, and his mighty influence at the head 
of the Romans, they bestowed upon him the title of The 
August, and allowed the government to be erected into 
an Empire, while " he," Cesar Augustus, " had a crown 
given unto him," and took his position as the first Em- 
peror of Rome, and during his reign Rome, as we have 
seen, enjoyed the triumphs of victory, and rejoiced in 
prosperity and peace. " He went forth conquering, and 
to conquer," until he had conquered all, and then reigned 
in peace and prosperity during the ' ' Augustan Age " of 
this empire. 

The ' ' white horse " and his rider are therefore very 
significant symbols by which to represent the Roman 
Empire during the first part of its history. 



Second 

seal 

opened. 

Second 

beast 

says, 

" Come 

and see." 

What 

John saw. 



Still a 6 
winged 
beast. 
And a 
horse with 
his rider. 



Beast, 
symbol of 
the Church 

Calf, a 
beast of 
slaughter. 



But the second seal was opened, and the " second beast," 
which " was like a calf," was heard, saying : 

" Come and see." 

John saw : ' ' And there went out another horse that was 
red; and power was given to him that sat thereon to take 
peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another ; 
and there was given unto him a great sword." 

Here we have still a six-winged beast to represent the 
Christian Church, and a horse with his rider to repre- 
sent the Roman Empire, but there is a marked change in 
them, which indicates a marked change in both the Church 
and the government. 

The beast-symbol of the Church is no longer a six- 
winged " Lion," but it is now a six-winged " Calf." 

The Cale is a beast of slaughter. In every reference 
made to it in the New Testament this fact appears. It is 
either spoken of as being killed, or reference is made to 
its blood as a victim already slain. This animal was so 
devoted to sacrificial death, that the ancients, even among 



392 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Indicates 
slaughter 
to the 
Church. 



Govern- 
ment 
repre- 
sented by 
the red 
horse. 
Color 
significant. 



the heathen, had a man appointed to select calves for sac- 
rifices. The Greeks called a calf Moschos ; and the man 
who was appointed to select and mark it as the victim for 
the slaughter, was called Moschos-phragistees ; from 
Moschos, a Calf- — and Spragidzo, to mark or scar'. 

The calf, therefore, being introduced in this symbol to 
represent the Church, indicates the slaughter of that body ; 
for, as the calf was a special victim of slaughter, so the 
Church is represented as being also a victim, specially 
marked for that purpose. 

But before we can fully appreciate this ' ' calf "-symbol 
of the Church, we must notice the symbol of the govern- 
ment to which the calf directs attention, when he says, 
" Come and see." 

The government is here represented by a red horse and 
his rider, and the rider receives power "to take peace 
from the earth," and " a great sword was given to him." 

The color of this horse is as significant as that of the first 
horse, and his rider is as indicative, in his position and 
work, as the one on that ivhite horse. 



Red a 

symbol of 
slaughter 
and blood. 
Govern- 
ment 
stained. 
Ruler 
responsible 



Question. 



This horse, as really as the frst one, represents the gov- 
ernment of the Roman Empire, and his rider represents 
the ruler at the head of that government ; but the horse, 
being of a different color, and the rider of a different char- 
acter, indicates a change in the government and its ruler. 

This second horse is " red," and the red must have its 
meaning. What, then, does it signify? Red ..is a symbol 
of slaughter and blood; and this horse, being red, indicates 
that the government is stained with blood ; and the posi- 
tion and work of the rider indicates that the ruler is re- 
sponsible for the blood which stains his government ; for 
he has power given him " to take peace from the earth," 
and so receives "a great sword, and they" — the people — 
" kill one another." 

Now we ask, — Were such changes produced in the con- 
dition of the Church, and in the government, as are indi- 
cated by these symbols, which are used to represent them? 



THE R OMAN EMPIRE — PR OPHE TICAL. 



893 



Reference 
to history. 
Church 
prosperous 
at first. 



Then 
persecuted 



Marked 
victims, 

Repre- 
sented by 
the calf. 



In tracing the history of the Church, we have seen that 
it prospered in its work, remarkably, at first. Bold and 
courageous as a lion, it was able to stand and to advance in 
its strength and power, being unmolested by the govern- 
ment, and its work was wonderful. But we came finalty to 
the time when its members began to fall because of perse- 
cution ; their lives were destroyed in every cruel way pos- 
sible, and their blood flowed freely. The days of the 
Church's prosperity and special favor ended. The Christ- 
ians were marked as victims of slaughter ; and, in this con- 
dition, and under these circumstances, the lion could no 
longer fitly represent them ; so the calf is introduced ; the 
special victim of slaughter ; and by this calf-symbol, they 
are represented during this terrible persecution. 



The rela- 
tion of 
these 
symbols. 



Questions. 



Slaughter 
com- 
mences 
during the 
reign of 
Nero. 



We have seen that a change in the government is as 
clearly indicated as in the Church; and, while the Church 
is symbolized by a symbol which represents it as a victim 
of slaughter, the government is symbolized by a symbol 
which represents it as stained with blood, and its ruler as 
being guilty of slaughter.. 

Now, what relation do these symbols sustain to each 
other, in their application ? They are evidently closely 
connected, as the Church and the government are parallel 
in their history ; and the beast representing the Church 
calls attention to the scene representing the government, as 
though it had an interest in it. 

The Church being represented as a victim of slaughter, 
and the government as being stained with blood, the ques- 
tion arises, Who slaughtered the Church ? and with what 
blood was the Roman Government stained, as indicated by 
the color of this horse ? How was ' ' peace " taken ' ' from 
the earth ; " and who was killed by the ' ' sword " of the 
ruler, as indicated by this rider on his red horse ? 



"We have seen that the persecution and slaughter of the 
Christians commenced during the reign of the " base and 
cruel Nero," who was exalted to the imperial throne of 



394 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Nero 
respon- 
sible. 
Persecu- 
tion 

continued 
nearly 247 
years, to 
A.D. 313. 



Means of 
torture 
resorted to. 



Rome in A.D. 54, when, to cover his own crime, he ac- 
cused the humble followers of Christ of setting fire to 
Rome ; and thus he found occasion to put them to death ; 
and many of them were slain, while he sat, in his baseness, 
upon that throne. Among the victims slain were Peter, 
Paul, James the brother of John, and James, the Lord's 
brother. This was the first persecution of Christians by 
the Roman government, and was about A.D. 66 ; and up 
to this time the Church was properly represented by the 
lion, and the government by the white horse and his 
rider. 

Nero, who was responsible for this slaughter, ceased to 
reign after a time ; but the persecution was continued by 
this government, and under the direction of its rulers, 
about two hundred and forty -seven years, until A.D. 313, 
when it was stayed. During this period, thousands of the 
followers of Christ were slain, and the most cruel means 
were resorted to, at different times," by which to torture 
these victims to death. They were marked as victims of 
slaughter by the Pagan Roman rulers, just as a calf ivas 
marked as a victim to be sacrificed. Then, as we have 
seen, they were publicly whipped ; they were drawn by 
their heels through the streets of cities ; were racked till 
every bone in their bodies was disjointed ; they had their 
noses, hands and ears cut off; had their teeth beaten out, 
and their tongues cut out ; their eyes were dug out ; they 
had sharp-pointed instruments pressed under their nails ; 
melted lead was poured on their naked bodies ; they were 
smothered in burning lime-kilns ; roasted upon gridirons 
over slow fires ; they were scraped to death with sharp 
shells ; torn with boughs of trees ; and they were sewed 
up in sacks and tossed among wild beasts, to be trampled 
upon and torn, until life became extinct. 

Thus the Roman ruler slaughtered his victims, and his 
government was stained with their blood, and the white- 
horse-symbol and his rider could not fittingly represent it 
any longer. And so that red-horse-symbol and his rider 
were introduced ; which, we see, most clearly represents the 



ERRATA. 

Pages 221 and 394 : — Omit : James the Brother of John 
from the list of those killed under the persecution of Nero, 
and place him as killed by order of Herod, King of Judea, in 
A.D. 44, during the reign of Claudius, the predecessor of 
Nero. (See Acts 12: 2.) 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE — PROPHETICAL. 



395 



Next 
scenes. 



blood-stained government, and its ruler, who took "peace 
from the earth." 

Having seen that these second symbols properly and 
wonderfully represent the Church and the government 
during this second period of their history, we proceed to 
consider the next scenes which are presented in this line. 



Third seal 
opened. 
What is 
seen. 



Six-wing- 
ed beast 
and a horse 



Third 
beast- 
symbol, 
Peculiar. 

Question. 
What it 
represents. 
Subject 
analyzed. 



A.D. 313. 

Another 
change in 
the Church 



The third seal was opened, and the third beast said, 
Come and see ; and John " beheld, and lo, a black horse ; 
and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand." 
"And" he "heard a voice from the midst of the four 
beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three 
measures of barley for a penny ; and see that thou hurt not 
the oil and the wine." 

Here a six-winged beast is still used to represent the 
Church, and a horse with his rider to represent the Roman 
government. But another remarkable change has been 
made in the symbols, which indicates still another change 
in the Church and the government. 

This third beast-symbol of the Church is neither a Lion 
nor a Calf; but one which has "A face as a man." 

This is a more peculiar symbol than either of the others. 

What, about the Church, can be represented by this 
symbolic beast with a man's face? A man's face presents 
his features, indicates his characteristics, and manifests his 
wisdom ; and man's' face being introduced in this Church- 
symbol, indicates that his features, characteristics and wis- 
dom, become prominent in the Church. We inquire, 
therefore, if there ever came a time in the history of the 
Church, when it could be properly thus represented. 
And, in order to understand the matter, we go back again 
to the history which we have passed over. We saw that 
the Church was properly represented by the symbolic calf, 
during the second period of its history, dating from A.D. 
66 to A.D. 313. At that date the Church experienced 
another change in its history, as we have before noticed. 
Constantine The Great, who mounted the Roman throne 
in A.D. 306, continued to reign as a Pagan ruler until 



396 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



How it was 
effected. 



Repre- 
sented 
properly 
by man's 
face. 
Govern- 
ment 
repre- 
sented by 
the black 
horse. 



First, the 

color, 

black. 

Emblem 
of dark- 
ness and 
trouble. 



Indicates 
trouble to 
the govern- 
ment. 



Was it thus 
iu trouble ? 
Is its 

nature in- 
dicated. 

Reference 
to the rider 
and his 
work. 



A.D. 313, when he embraced the Christian religion, and 
established it as the religion of the government. The Pa- 
gan persecution ended, and in a little while the professed 
Church of Christ began to degenerate ; worldliness crept 
into it ; its officers aspired to high positions ; and the true 
principles of the gospel were lost sight of by the majority. 
The Bishop at the head of the Church began to be lifted 
up, and coveted the title of " Universal Bishop," and dic- 
tated much concerning what people should believe, until, 
finally, man's features, his characteristics and wisdom, be- 
came more prominent than those of Christ, its only true 
head ; and thus the Church is properly represented by the 
six-winged beast with man's face. 

The government of the Roman Empire is represented in 
this third period by the black horse and his rider. 

And now we wish to examine the subject further, and 
see if this government occupied a position in which it could 
properly be represented by this symbol, while the Church 
was enjoying worldly prosperity under the dictation of 
man. 

First, we notice the color of the horse. He is neither 
white nor red, but black. This black color is as significant 
as the white or red ; but what does it signify? Black is 
an emblem of darkness, calamity and trouble ; and this 
symbolic horse, which represents the government, being 
black, indicates darkness, calamity and trouble in the 
government ; so that, while the Church enjoys worldly 
prosperity, the government is represented as being in 
trouble. 

But was it in trouble ? and, if so, what was the nature 
of that trouble ? Is it indicated in the symbol ? As we 
seek for an answer, we notice the rider and his position as 
he sits upon this horse, the representative of the head of 
the government. He has "a pair of balances in his hand," 
as though en^ao-ed in weiarhino; ; and a voice is heard from 

© © © O O ' 

the midst of the four beasts, saying, "A measure of wheat 
for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny." Or 
as rendered in the New Version: "A measure [margin, 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



397 



Scarcity of 
provisions 
implied. 



Usual price 
of wheat. 



What is 
indicated. 



Return to 
history. 



A.D. 395. 



Gothic 
nation in 
arms. 



Arrival at 
Rome, in 
A.D. 408. 



The result. 



quart] of wheat for a shilling and three measures of barley 
for a shilling"), and see that thou hurt not the oil and 
the wine." 

This implies a scarcity of provisions, as the price for 
wheat and barley is exceedingly extravagant, and caution 
is given not to hurt the choice articles, — " the oil and 
the wine." 

Usually, about sixteen or eighteen measures, or quarts, 
of wheat could be purchased for a penny, or shilling, and 
barley in the same proportion : while oil and wine were 
plentiful. But under these circumstances only one " meas- 
ure of wheat" could be bought " for a penny," and only 
three of barley, and the oil and wine were rare commodi- 
ties. 

These circumstances indicate famine, which would sadly 
affect the Roman government, causing darkness and gloom, 
as represented by its black-hoj-se-symbol. 

And now we return to the facts of history which we have 
passed over, to see if any such calamity ever came upon 
the Eoman government during the time when the Church 
was properly represented by the beast with a man's face 
upon it. And we see that, after the days of Constantine, 
who had relieved the Church from its Pagan persecutors, 
while that Church was gradually rising in position and 
worldly prosperity, a class of barbarians were watching 
for an opportunity to take possession of the territory 
of the Roman Empire ; and in the year A.D. 395, as soon 
as Theodosius was dead and the empire was divided be- 
tween his two sons, Arcadius and Hoxorius, the whole 
Gothic nation was in arms, and headed by Alaric, they 
speedily swept across the Eastern Division of the Roman 
Empire, destroying all in their way, and marched swiftly 
onward to the City of Rome* in the West, where they ar- 
rived in A.D. 408, and laid siege to that proud city of the 
Tiber, which had not been entered by a foreign foe for a 
period of six hundred mid nineteen years ; they cut off the 
supplies, and reduced the Romans to such an extent that 
they were obliged to iveigh out allowances to their subjects, 



398 THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 

and an exorbitant price was demanded for icheat and other 
articles of provision ; and soon they had nothing to weigh, 
or to sell. Famine, in all its awfulness, was upon them, 
and they were driven to eat things of the most unwholesome 
character, and some were supposed even to have fed on 
the flesh of their fellow-beings. "We recall the graphic 
description given of these circumstances by Jones ; and 
as we reproduce it, let us keep in mind these words : — 

" A measure of wheat for a penny, three measures of 
barley for a penny, and see that thou hurt not the oil and 
the wine." 
Jones' Jones, in that quoted statement, says, — in describing 

description . . ^ ,..,,., i 

the position of the Romans, as Alanc with his barbarous 
tribes besieged their city, — "The first emotions of the 
nobles and the people were those of surprise and indigna- 
tion, that a vile barbarian should dare to insult the capital 
of the world; but their arrogance was soon humbled by 
misfortune. The unfortunate city gradually experienced 
the distress of scarcity, and at length the horrid calami- 
ties of famine. The daily allowance of three pounds of 
bread was reduced to one half — to one third — to noth- 
ing ; and the price of corn still continued to rise in a 
rapid and extravagant proportion.'''' ("A measure of 

AVHEAT FOR A PENNY, THREE MEASURES OF BARLEY FOR 

a penny.") "The poorer citizens, unable to procure the 
necessaries of life, solicited the precarious charity of the 
rich : but private and occasional donations were insuffi- 
cient to appease the hunger of a numerous people. The 
food most repugnant to sense or imagination, the aliments 
the most unwholesome and pernicious to the constitution, 
were eagerly devoured and fiercely disputed by the rage 
of hunger. A dark suspicion was entertained that some 
wretches fed on the bodies of their fellow-creatures, whom 
they had secretly murdered, and even mothers are said to 
have tasted the flesh of their slaughtered infants. Many 
thousands of the inhabitants of Rome expired in their own 
houses, or in the streets, for want of sustenance ; and, as 
the public sepulchres without the walls were in the power 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



399 



Rome in 
darkness. 



Whole 

territory 

flooded. 



The result. 



of the enemy, the stench which arose from so many putrid 
and unburied carcasses infected the air, and the miseries of 
famine were succeeded and augmented by the contagion 
of a pestilential disease." 

Thus the government of Eome was shrouded in dark- 
ness and gloom. 

Not only did this calamity and trouble come upon the 
city of Rome, but the Barbarians continued their desperate 
work against the Romans until they flooded the whole 
territory of the Empire, and succeeded in changing the 
entire face of the country of Europe. 

New governments were established, bearing new names ; 
new laws were enacted ; different manners and customs 
were adopted, and the whole country became foreignized, 
and the Romans suffered extremely during a period of 
about one hundred and seventy six years, dating from 
A. D. 395. 



What Dr. 
Robertson 
said. 



A.D. 395, 
to A.D. 

571. 

This period 
properly- 
repre- 
sented. 



Dr. Robertson, in speaking of this trouble which came 
thus upon the Romans, says : " If a man were required to 
fix upon a period in this world's history which was most 
calamitous to the race, he would, without hesitation, fix 
upon that period which extended from the death of Theo- 
dosius, in A. D. 395, to the establishment of the Lom- 
bards in Italy, in A. D. 571." 

This dark, calamitous period of Roman history, is 
clearly and fittingly represented by the black-horse-sym- 
bol and his rider. 



But what 
of the 
Church ? 

Seen from 
history. 



But was the Church in a position during this time to be 
properly represented by the beast with the face as a man's 
face? We have seen that, notwithstanding the terrible 
calamity which the barbarous tribes brought upon the Ro- 
mans and their government, in their bitterness opposing 
everything that was Roman, they, from the time they first 
entered the City of Rome, showed great respect for the 
established Church, which had then become so much de- 
generated that ' ' man " was its principal dictator. Its 



400 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



No diffl- 
culty in 
applying 
the symbol 

Fourth 

seal 

opened. 



Six-wing- 
ed beast 
and a 
horse, still. 



Flying 
eagle 
What is 
repre- 
sented. 
Eagle 
described. 

What it 
denotes. 

"To fly," 
its mean- 
ing. 



church edifices were spared, while the public buildings and 
institutions of the Romans were doomed to destruction ; 
and the Bishop of the Church was treated with so much 
respect by the barbarians, that he continued to aspire to a 
higher position, until, finally, he succeeded, during this 
period, in being elevated to the head of Church and Stale; 
and thus man's features and characteristics were made 
prominent in the Church, and his wisdom, instead of the 
wisdom of Christ, directed in its affairs. 

We have had no difficulty, therefore, in applying this 
wonderful symbolic representation to the facts of history. 

After this scene, the fourth seal was opened, and the 
fourth beast was heard to say, " Come and see ;" and John 
" looked," " and beheld a pale horse ; and his name that 
sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And 
power was given unto them over the fourth part of the 
earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, 
and with the beasts of the earth." 

A six-winged-symbol is still before us, to represent the 
Church ; and a horse-symbol, with his rider, to represent 
the government ; but they are unlike anything we have 
considered before. 

This fourth beast-symbol of the Church is like a flying 
eagle. What does this indicate? In what respect, and 
under what circumstances, could the Church be identified 
with, or represented by, a flying eagle ? An Eagle is a 
sharp-eyed, swift-winged bird ; and this beast being rep- 
resented as a flying eagle, denotes keenness of perception 
and rapidity of flight. — To fly, literally means, "to move 
with wings ;" but, figuratively, it is defined as meaning — 
" to move rapidly like a bird." " To attempt to escape ; 
to flee." — Webster. Allowing this likeness of the "flying 
eagle " to apply to the Church in this figurative or sym- 
bolic manner, the Church is represented as having keenness 
of perception, sufficient to detect danger ; and because of 
that danger which threatens, as attempting to escape, or to 
flee from it. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



401 



Did the 
Church 
occupy 
such a 
position ? 



Church 
aposta- 
tized. 
Human 
head. 

Christ the 
true head. 



Christ had 
a people. 
Loyal. 
True 
Church. 



Danger 
threatens. 



An attempt 
to escape. 



Persecuted 
for nearly 
1260 vears. 



Eagle-like 
symbol. 
Rome 
repre- 
sented by 
the pale 
horse. 



Was there ever a time when the Church of Christ occu- 
pied such a position? We look to the nominal Church, 
after man's features appeared in connection with it, to see 
if it ever changed its position so as to be properly repre- 
sented by this fourth symbol ; but we see no such change ; 
' ' man " continued his work in that nominal Church, until 
it became thoroughly apostatized ; and associating with 
the government its human head stood also as the head of 
State; and having thus severed its connection with Jesus 
Christ, the true head of the Christian Church, it com- 
menced to persecute all who would not submit to the de- 
crees and dogmas of the crowned Pope of Rome. 

But Christ had a people notwithstanding, who were 
loyal to him, and who thereby constituted his true Church. 
But these suffered much from the apostate church which 
had departed from Christ, and united with the government 
to find support, with the power to dictate and control its 
affairs. 

Danger threatened the true followers of Christ on every 
hand, and they, perceiving the danger, sought by every 
honorable means possible, to make their escape, and to 
flee from it. They hid themselves in the Catacombs of 
Borne ; they sought for shelter in caves, and among the 
rocks of the mountains, that they might be privileged to 
talk of their hope, sing a song of praise, or offer a vocal 
prayer; thus to encourage each other's faithfulness, while 
one of their number was stationed to watch the approach 
of their enemy ; and often when thus engaged they were 
detected, arrested and dragged forth to he tortured and 
destroyed ; and though seeking to escape, it often proved 
to be only an attempt to flee. Thus the true Church of 
Christ continued to be persecuted for nearly twelve hun- 
dred and sixty years; and under these circumstances, and 
during this period, this loyal Church was very significantly 
represented by this eagle-like symbol. 

The government of Rome is represented during this 
period by the pale horse and his rider, which now demands 
our attention. The color of this horse is neither white , 



402 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



The mean- 
ing of this 
color. 
Death the 
rider. 

What it 
signifies. 



Question 
of pro- 
priety. 



Condition, 
of the 
govern- 
ment at 
this tune. 



Properly 
repre- 
sented by 
the pale 
horse. 
The rider, 
and what 
he repre- 
sents. 



Meaning of 
death. 



The Pope 
thus 
properly 
repre- 
sented. 



red, nor black, but it is "pale." Pale is defined as " not 
ruddy, or fresh of color," and it indicates decline ; loss of 
vitality ; weakness ; tendency to death. The rider is 
death, personified, and "Hell" — Hades — "follows" 
" with him," " and unto them" — to Death and Hades — is 
" given power" " over the fourth part of the earth, to kill 
with sword, and with hunger, and with death" — " pesti- 
lence" — " and with the beasts of the earth." 

Is this a proper representation of the government and 
its ruler, during the period in which the church is so 
strikingly represented by the eagle ? 

At the commencement of this period the government of 
Rome had lost much of its vigor, and was declining in 
power. The barbarous tribes who flooded its territory, 
destroyed its vitality, and weakened it to such an extent 
that it never recovered its former strength ; and, finally, 
it became weak enough to submit itself to the rule and 
dictation of the Pope, and united its interests with the 
interests of the Papal Church ; and when the government 
became thus weakened it could only properly be repre- 
sented by the "pale horse " for its freshness and vitality 
were orone. 

The rider — "Death," — like each of the other riders, 
represents the ruler of the government. 

Who was the ruler of the Eoman government during 
this period? 

The head of the Church, the Pope of Home. 

Can this ruler be properly represented by Death ? 

We give careful attention to the subject, that we may 
see if there is any barrier in the way of applying this sym- 
bol thus. 

Death, literally means, the "Cessation, or extinction of 
bodily life;" but in a metaphorical, or symbolic sense, it 
is defined to be the " Cause or instrument of loss of life." 
— Webster. — As such, death is often represented by a 
skeleton symbol. 

The Pope, at the head of Church and State, was cer- 
tainly a great cause, or instrument of loss of life, when, 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



403 



for nearly twelve hundred and sixty years, he had power 
to put to death those who would not submit to his decrees ; 
and "Hell" or Hades — the grave, emphatically, " followed 
with him," to receive the victims as they were slain ; and 
they were hilled with sword, famine, pestilence, wild 
beasts, and every other way that the Pope and his associ- 
ciates could devise. This fourth horse-symbol and his 
rider, therefore, clearly and wonderfully represent the 
Roman government during the Papal persecution. 



Fifth seal 
opened. 
What was 
seen. 



An altar. 



Question. 

The altar, 
and what it 
represents. 



What 
some, 
claim. 



The fifth ' « seal " was opened ; but when it was opened 
there was no beast to say " Come and see," but John 
' ' saw " under the altar the souls of them that were slain 
for the Word of God, and for the testimony whichthey held. 
And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O 
Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our 
blood on them that dwell on the earth ? And white robes 
were given unto every one of them ; and it was said unto 
them that they should rest yet for a little season, until 
their fellow-servants also, and their brethren, that should 
be killed as they were, should be fulfilled." 

Under this seal we have an altar introduced as a symbol, 
under which are seen ' ' the souls of them that were slain " 
during the terrible Papal persecution which we have con- 
sidered. 

What is here represented? 

The altar is the place on which sacrifices are offered. 
This symbolic altar must therefore represent a place of 
sacrifice ; and " the souls under the altar," must represent 
the souls of those who have been sacrificed ; and that, as 
we have seen, during the Papal persecution. 

But what are these souls that are seen under the 
altar? 

Some tell us that they are the immortal souls of those 
who were slain during the persecution, and that they are 
in heaven crying for vengeance upon their persecutors ; and 
they consider this abundant proof that the soul is immortal, 
and that the good go to heaven at death. But this sym- 



404 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Absurd. 



The altar 
and its use 
revealed. 

Victim 
bound 
alive on 
the altar. 



Illustrated 
in the 
sacrifice of 
Abraham. 



The final 
conclu- 
sion, if 
these souls 
are in 
heaven. 



Dr. A. 

Clarke's 
comment. 



bolic representation has no reference to that doctrine, 
whether it be true or not ; and if we attempt to apply the 
language in that way, it proves altogether too much for the 
theory, and makes it appear absurd ; for, as we have stated, 
the altar is the place on which the sacrifices are offered, 
and when we notice the altar and its use as revealed in 
the Old Testament Scriptures, we see that the victim to be 
sacrificed was bound alive upon the altar, and its life was 
destroyed on that place of sacrifice. This was the purpose 
for which the altar was used, in connection with the 
temple. 

We see this use of the altar clearly illustrated when 
Abraham went, according to the direction of God, to offer 
up his son Isaac as a sacrifice. The first thing he did on 
arriving at the spot designated was to build up an altar; 
he then bound his son hand and foot upon the altar, and 
raised the knife with which he purposed to strike the fatal 
blow that should destroy the life of Isaac. But he was 
prevented from doing so by the same God who had told 
him to do it, calling to him, and saying, "It is enough." 
But sacrifice must be offered, and as Abraham released 
his son, he saw a ram caught by his horns in the thicket, 
and he took that beast and bound him upon the altar in 
the place of Isaac, and destroyed his life, shedding his 
blood upon the altar. With these facts before us, in 
attempting to apply this symbol of the " souls under the 
altar," we readily see, that if we admit that these souls 
are immortal souls, and that they are in heaven, the altar 
under which they are seen must also be in heaven; and 
as the altar must represent the place on which the victims 
were slain, whose souls cry for vengeance upon those who 
have slain them, we must conclude that this terrible 
persecution and slaughter which we are. considering 
occurred in heaven which certainly appears absurd, for no 
such sacrifice of life ever was made in heaven ; therefore, 
"the souls under the altar " could not have been in heaven. 

Dr. Adam Clarke says, with reference to this sym- 
bol : "The altar is on earth, and not in heaven;" and 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



405 



Victims 
slain on 
the earth, 
not in 
heaven. 
Death slew 
his victims 
Hades 
followed to 
receive 
them. 
The earth 
covered 
them. 
Earth- 
altar. 



this is evident from the fact that these victims were slain 
on the earth and not in heaven. 

Death went forth on the pale horse and slew his victims 
during the Papal persecution, and Hell — Hades, the grave 
— followed with him, to receive them as they were slain, 
until the earth covered millions of those who had fallen by 
the cruel tortures of their persecutors ; and the souls, or 
persons, of those whose blood had been shed upon this 
earth-altar, were buried in its bosom, and under its sur- 
face on which they had been slain, where they must rest, 
until the time should come for vengeance to be meted 
out to those who had slaughtered them ; and the altar 
which John saw, and the souls under it, thus clearty 
represent the condition and circumstances of these slain 
victims. 



How can 
they cry 
for venge- 
ance ? 



The ques- 
tion 

answered 
by a 

question. 
Abel's 
blood. 

God's 
statement 
to Cain. 



White 

robes 

pledged. 



But the question is raised, How could they cry for ven- 
geance when they were dead, and buried under the surface 
of the earth ? 

This question is answered by another : — 

How, when Cain had slain his brother, Abel, could the 
voice of that brother's blood cry to God "from the 
ground," for vengeance? 

God said to Cain, who had sacrificed his brother upon 
this same earth-altar: "What hast thou done? the voice 
of thy brother's blood crielh unto me from the ground. And 
now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her 
mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand." (Gen. 
4: 10, 11.) 

Thus, the earth having opened her mouth to receive the 
victims of the Papal persecution, these victims cry for ven- 
geance upon those at whose hands they fell, just as a 
man who has been murdered and is found lying in his 
blood cries to the government for vengeance upon his 
murderer. 

We read further of them, that "White robes were 
given" — or pledged — " unto them." " And it was said 
unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, 



406 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that 
should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled." 

And when all is fulfilled they will come forth to wear 
the white robes forever in the kingdom of God, from 
righteous Abel, down through all the line of holy martyrs. 



Sixth seal 
opened. 
The 

description 
of what 
John saw. 



Two lines, 
a physical 
line and a 
political 
line. 



When the sixth seal was opened, John says : "I be- 
held "...*' and, lo, there was a great earthquake ; and the 
sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon be- 
came as blood ; and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, 
even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is 
shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a 
scroll when it is rolled together ; and every mountain and 
island were moved out of their places. And the kings of 
the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the 
chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, 
and every freeman, hid themselves in the dens and in the 
rocks of the mountains ; and said to the mountains and 
rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that 
sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb ; for 
the great day of his wrath is come ; and who shall be able 
to stand?" 

And John says further : " And after these things I saw 
four angels standing on the four corners of the earth , hold- 
ing the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not 
blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And 
I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the 
seal of the living God ; and he cried with a loud voice to 
the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth 
and the sea, saying : Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, 
nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God 
in their foreheads." 

John saw more under this sixth seal, according to this 
description, than he did under either of the other seals. 

Two lines of events were represented, — a physical line, 
and a political line. As the seal was opened, John "be- 
held," . . . and lo, "a great earthquake ;" . . . "the sun became 
black as sackcloth of hair j the moon became as blood ; the 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



407 



Taken 
literally. 

Rules of 
language. 



stars of heaven fell unto the earth ; and the heaven de- 
parted as a scroll." 

All these are to be applied literally, because they can be 
and not do violence to common sense ; for, according to the 
rules of language, all statements are to be understood lit- 
erally if possible, and are only considered to be figurative 
when the sense would be destroyed by applying literally. 



Contrasted 
with the 
scenes 
under the 
preceding 
seal. 



Has there 
been such 
an earth- 
quake ? 
Strange 
question. 



God's 
events of a 
character 
to be 
noticed. 



Such an 
earth- 
quake did 
occur at 
Lisbon, in 
1755. 



The scenes described under the preceding seals are of 
such a character that they could not be understood liter- 
ally. They would become meaningless as soon as thus 
applied ; but these things which are described first under 
this sixth seal can be understood in a literal sense ; and if 
an attempt were made to make them figurative, it would be 
a labored effort, and confuse the mind ; therefore we apply 
the common-sense rules of language to these descriptions, 
and proceed to notice their significance. 

As the seal opened there was a great earthquake ; which 
we first consider. 

Has " a great earthquake" occurred, which has marked 
the opening of the sixth seal? This may be thought a 
strange question, when there have been so many great and 
terrible earthquakes in the world's history. 

When God fixes upon an event which is to mark a spe- 
cial point, it is of a character to be noticed and understood 
by those who give attention to his word. Therefore, if "a 
great earthquake" was to mark the opening of the seal, it 
would be great enough to be noticed and distinguished 
from all others. 

Such an earthquake did occur about the middle of the 
eighteenth century, as we noticed in tracing the history, — 
the earthquake at Lisbon, which occurred Nov. 1st, 1755, 
when, in about eight minutes, nearly all the houses, and 
about fifty thousand inhabitants were swallowed up in the 
earth. The shock affected the whole territory of Spain 
and the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. 
Scotland, even, felt the shock, and the shores of America 
were also affected by it. 



408 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Next 
event, the 
darkening 
of the sun. 



Jesus said 
something 
concerning 
it. 

His atten- 
tion called 
to the 
stone* of 
the temple. 
His 
statement. 

His 

disciples 

question 

him. 

His answer 

to their 

questions 

general. 

Their first 

question. 

His 

definite 

answer. 



This earthquake has been described as the most remark- 
able of the many terrible ones which have occurred in the 
history of Europe ; and it properly and significantly marks 
the opening of the sixth seal. 

The next event in order in this physical line is the dark- 
ening of the sun ; for John said : " The sun became black 
as sackcloth of hair. Beside what John describes, which 
he saw under the sixth seal, we have another declaration of 
the same character. We remember that Jesus said, when in 
conversation with his disciples at one time when they had 
called his attention to the temple in Jerusalem and to the 
wonderful stones of which it was made : ' ' There shall 
not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown 
down." This excited their interest, and when they were 
alone with him upon the Mount of Olives they said : 
" Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be 
the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world ?" 

In answer to these questions, he gave them a general 
outline of the events which should transpire in the 
history of the nations ; and then, in answer to the first 
question, " When shall these things be?" — which had 
reference to the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem, — 
he said, " When ye see Jerusalem compassed with armies, 
then know that the desolation thereof is nigh." This was 
to be a sign to them of the approaching destruction to 
which he had referred when he said, " There shall not be 
left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down ;" 
and this sign appeared at last, for Jerusalem was "compassed 
with" the Roman "armies," and the terrible desolation came 
in A. D. 70. The temple was destroyed so completely that 
there was not " left one stone upon another " that was not 
" thrown down," and the city was entirely destroyed, ex- 
cept a corner of the west wall and three towers, which were 
left as a monument. 



Their j n answer to the second question, concerning his coming 

second ^ ' . . 

question. and the end of the world, he spake of great tribulation 

His answer wn j c h should follow this destruction of Jerusalem ; and he 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



409 



These 
words of 
Jesus 
found by- 
reading 
the 24th of 
Matt., the 
13th of 
Mark, and 
the 21st of 
Luke. 
John's 
statement. 

Does not 
give the 
time of the 
event. 

Jesus 
states 
when it is 
to be. 



Has there 
been a 
tribula- 
tion ? 

Answer. 



Tribula- 
tion not 
always to 
last. 



marked the end of that tribulation by the darkening of the 
sun, saying: " Immediately after the tribulation of those 
days shall the sun be darkened." He then described other 
events which should follow the darkening of the sun, and 
and which should indicate his " coming, and the end of 
the world," saying; " The moon shall not give her light, 
and the stars shall fall from heaven ;" thus mentioning the 
very things we have here represented under this sixth seal. 

He says, further, that there should be " upon the earth 
distress of nations with perplexity ; the sea and the waves 
roaring ; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for look- 
ing after those things which are coming on the earth, for 
the powers of heaven shall be shaken, and then shall they 
see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and 
great glory." These words of Jesus are found by reading 
the account of his conversation with his disciples as re- 
corded in Matthew, twenty-fourth chapter; Mark, thir- 
teenth chapter, and in Luke, chapter twenty-first. 

John, in describing what he saw under the sixtk seal, 
when he says, "The sun became black as sackcloth of 
hair," — does not tell us just when this event was to occur ; 
but, as we have noticed, when Jesus said the sun should 
be darkened, he not only mentioned the event, but he 
stated when it should be darkened, saying, "Immediately 
after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be dark- 
ened." 

Now we inquire, Has there been "the tribulation;" 
and if so, has it ended? 

A great tribulation came upon the Jews in connection 
with the desolation of their city and country, and tribula- 
tion of a fearful character came upon the Church under 
Pagan Rome, and also under Papal Rome, until millions 
were persecuted to death, as we have noticed ; and there 
can be no doubt but that Jesus had reference to all this 
tribulation when he said : ' ' Then shall be great tribulation 
such as was not since the beginning of the world to this 
time, no, nor ever shall be." But this tribulation was not 
to last always ; for he says : "Except those days should 



410 



THE WORLDS GREAT EMPIRES. 



Days 
shortened. 



Ended 
with the 
abolish- 
ment of 
Jesuitism. 



Sun to he 
darkened 
immedi- 
ately after. 



19th of .. 
May, 1780. 

Sun 
darkened. 



That 

darkening 
super- 
natural. 

The effect 
produced. 



be shortened, there should no flesh be saved : but for the 
elect's sake those days shall be shortened." And they 
were shortened ; the end of the tribulation came. We 
have traced its bloody history ; but its work is in the past. 
It ended with the abolishment of Jesuitism, the last and 
most cruel form of the Papal persecution, when Austria, 
the sixth power which supported the Papacy, ended the 
bloody work, in A. D. 1773. 

Now, Jesus said that i ' the sun " should ' ' be darkened " 
immediately after the tribulation, and, as the tribulation 
ended about A. D. 1773, receiving its death-blow in that 
year, we ask if its end was marked by the darkening of 
the sun, according to the words of Jesus? 

We wait until seven years pass by after the abolishment 
of Jesuitism, during which the last executions of Chris- 
tians occurred because of their opposition to the Pope of 
Rome, and the work of tribulation ends, and its history 
closes, and then, on the 19th of May, A.D. 1780, "Im- 
mediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun ivas 
darkened, just as Jesus said it would be, and as repre- 
sented under this seal. 

That darkening of the sun was supernatural, for no sci- 
entist has ever been able to account for it. It was not an 
eclipse, for the moon was at its full, and an eclipse could 
not occur under such circumstances. The effect produced 
by this mysterious darkness was of the most solemn char- 
acter. 

As "the sun" thus "became black as sackcloth of 
hair," and the earth was shrouded in darkness and gloom, 
the people thought "The day of judgment had come ; and 
many, who had neglected to make their peace with God, 
cried for mercy, thinking they were about to be ushered 
into the presence of Him whose mercies they had tram- 
pled under their feet. Fowls went to roost at midday, 
and candles were required, to light up the dwellings, as 
though the sun had suddenly set and the shades of night 
had gathered around them. 

"Ministers went into their pulpits on the following Sab- 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE — PROPHETICAL. 



411 



Some 

disposed to 
set this 
sign aside. 
Other dark 
days. 



Only one 
marks the 
end of the 
tribulation 

Another 

objection, 

not 

extensive 

enough. 



Confined 
to New 
England. 

No reason 
against the 
argument. 



Bounda- 
ries of that 
darkness 
not fixed. 



Questions 

for 

scientists. 



bath and referred to this darkness as the fulfillment of 
Christ's words: "Immediately after the tribulation of 
those days the sun shall be darkened." And thus it was 
darkened and his words were fulfilled ; and the second 
event, represented under this seal, transpired as described 
by the one who saw it in vision. 

But some are disposed to set this sign, which was to mark 
the end of the tribulation, aside. They say : "There have 
been many dark days in the world's history, and this was 
no more significant than others." It does not make any 
difference if there have been ten thousand dark days in the 
world's history ; only one occurred at the proper time to 
mark the end of the tribulation, and that one was on the 
19th of May, A.D. 1780. 

Then, again, objection is raised that this darkness was 
not extensive enough to have fulfilled the words of Jesus, 
or to have answered the description given of the darken- 
ing of the sun under this seal. It is said, that the darkness 
of May 19th, 1780, was confined simply to New England, 
and therefore could not have been the darkening of the sun 
meant by these prophetic statements. If it was confined 
"simply to New England," we see no reason why it should 
not have filled the prophetic mould ; but it remains yet to 
be proved that the darkness of that day did not extend be- 
yond the boundaries of New England. The author of 
Our First Centura states, that "The boundaries of 
that darkness have never been fixed." There was more 
excitement in New England concerning it, because the 
people there at that time had special knowledge of the 
Scriptures, which teach that a day of judgment is coming, 
and in which these signs, which should precede it, are de- 
scribed. 

But if that darkness only covered New England, where 
was the sun on the night following, that it refused to lend 
its light to the moon ; which, in its fulness, failing to bor- 
row its accustomed light from the sun, left the world 
shrouded in a deeper gloom than had been caused by the 
darkening of the sun during that day ? These are ques- 



412 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



The next 
event in 
order, 
moon as 
blood. 

To fail to 
give her 
light. 

Tlie night 
following 
the dark 
day, the 
moon dark 

Assumed 
the appear- 
ance of 
blood. 



Mr. Bea- 
dle, of 
Aleppo. 



What he 
says. 



The next 

event 

described. 



tions for scientists to answer, if they can ; but we accept 
this darkening of the sun as the fulfillment of the prophetic 
word of Christ to his disciples, and also, to John on the 
Isle of Patmos, when he showed him this scene under the 
sixth seal. 

The next event in order under this seal is described 
thus : " And the moon became as blood ; " and Jesus said 
to his disciples, in a corresponding manner, after describ- 
ing the darkening of the sun : " And the moon shall not 
o;ive her light." 

We have learned that on the night following that dark 
day the moon failed to give her light, and the darkness 
was intense. It is stated that toward morning the moon 
was distinguished, but that it was so red that it had the 
appearance of blood ; and several times since that date the 
moon has assumed the appearance of blood. 

Mr. Beadle, of Aleppo in Syria, gives a description of 
an earthquake which occurred at that place in A.D. 1822, 
in a letter published in the Missionary Herald, of June, 
1842, page 243 ; and in that letter he mentions the peculiar 
appearance of the moon at that time, and the effect of the 
scene upon the people. He says : — 

" On the night of the earthquake there was something 
peculiar in the atmosphere, the moon appearing as red 
as blood. This greatly alarmed the inhabitants, who 
were continually crying out, ' Now we shall hear the trum- 
pet sound ! and the dead will rise ! the day of judgment 
has arrived.'" 

Thus the moon has filled her place in this prophetic 
line. 

The next event in order under the seal, John describes 
as follows : " And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, 
even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs when she is 
shaken by a mighty wind ; " and Jesus mentions the fall- 
ing of the stars as the next event after the darkeninp; of 
the sun and moon, as he said, "And the stars shall fall 
from heaven." 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



413 



Transpired 
in 1833. 



Its appear- 
ance. 



Professor 

Olmstead's 

statement. 



Many were 
alarmed. 



The next 
event of a 
solemn 
character. 
Interven- 
ing space. 



Now, has this event also transpired? Yes. On No- 
vember 13th, A. D. 1833, an event, answering fully to 
this description, transpired. It has been called the star 
shower. The atmosphere was filled with falling meteors. 
They seemed to proceed from a central point in the heav- 
ens, and "fell unto the earth even as a fig-tree casteth her 
untimely figs when she is shaken of a mighty wind." 

Professor Olmstead, of Yale College, said : — 

" The extent of the shower of 1833 was such as to cover 
no inconsiderable part of the earth's surface, from the 
middle of the Atlantic on the east, to the Pacific on the 
west ; and from the northern coast of South America to 
undefined regions among the British Possessions on the 
north the exhibition was visible, and everywhere presented 
nearly the same appearance. 

*' In nearly all places the meteors began to attract notice 
by their unusual frequency as early as eleven o'clock, and 
increased in numbers and splendor until about four o'clock, 
from which time they gradually declined, but were visible 
until lost in the light of day. The meteors did not fly at 
random over all parts of the sJcy, but appeared to emanate 
from a point in the constellation Leo, near a star called 
Gamma Leonis, in the bend of the sickle." 

Many witnesses still live to describe its appearance, and 
to admit that this prophetic description of Rev. 6 : 13 is 
more graphic than .that which has been given by any of 
those who saw it. Many were then alarmed, and thought 
the Day of Judgment was upon them. 

"The stars of heaven" have fallen, then, according to 
this representation ; and the next event in this physical 
line under the sixth seal is of a very solemn character^ 
Jesus fills up the space intervening between the falling of 
the stars and this final event with "distress of nations 
with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring, and men's 
hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those 
things which are coming on the earth." 

Since 1833, all these things have been transpiring upon 
a grand and awful scale ; and we have been approximating 



414 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Vivid 
description 
of the final 
physical 
event. 



This event 
just before 
us. 



Op- 
position. 



But few 
realize it. 
6000 years 
of history. 

Next 

prophetic 

declaration 



Great and 

mighty 

men. 



towards the final, physical event , which is represented under 
this seal, and which is described in the following vivid and 
stirring language : ' ' And the heaven departed as a scroll 
when it is rolled together ; and every mountain and island 
were moved out of their places. And the kings of the 
earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief 
captains, and the mighty men and every bond-man and 
every free-man, hid themselves in the dens and in the 
rocks of the mountains ; and said to the mountains and 
rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sit- 
teth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb ; for 
the great day of his wrath is come ; and who shall be able 
to stand ? " 

This wonderfully solemn event of ' ' the heaven " depart- 
ing " as a scroll" and the scenes connected with it, lies 
just before us. It is the next physical event of sufficient 
moment to he represented under this seal. 

Our position is, therefore, a very solemn and important 
one. We occupy the narrow space between the falling of 
"the stars," and the departing of "the heaven as a scroll" 
when the many different classes who are unsaved shall cry 
to the rocks and mountains to hide them ' ' from the face of 
him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the 
Lamb." And yet but few realize these things. 

We have passed over nearly six thousand years of this 
world's history, and have traced its events in the light of 
God's prophetic word, until we stand where the next de- 
claration extends into our future, and describes, in this 
vivid manner, the closing scenes of probationary time. And 
these things are to burst, suddenly, upon the vision of "the 
Icings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and 
the chief captains, and the mighty men " who are out of 
Christ, as well as upon the common classes of men. 

There are many of these great and mighty men now, 
who would think it beneath their dignity to shed a tear 
over their sins. They say: "Religion will do for a few 
silly women and weak-minded men ; for old people and 
invalids ; but strong-minded business men have things of 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 415 

more importance which claim their attention." Of course 
these men, with whom rests all the important business in- 
terests of this world, cannot be expected to think of reli- 
gion while their attention is wholly absorbed in their won- 
derful business schemes and enterprises. If they ever get 
beyond active business life, and feel the need of something 
to occupy their attention, when their noble minds have be- 
come too much impaired to give attention longer to the 
great and important business matters of this world, per- 
haps they will condescend to consider the subject of Chris- 
tianity, at their leisure, unless something else of a more 
interesting character demands their attention. 

But right in the midst of these business enterprises, — 
when in their greatness, mightiness and powerfulness, 
these men of boasted dignity and courage are devoting 
their whole energies to the prosecution of business, — sud- 
denly, "The heaven shall depart as a scroll when it is 
rolled together; and every island and every mountain" 
will be " moved out of their places," and those who have 
thought it beneath their dignity to shed a tear, — these men 
of strong minds — will quail in weakness before the Son of 
God, and call for rocks and mountains to hide them "from 
the face of him that sitteth upon the throne, and from the 
wrath of the Lamb ; " while in terror they exclaim : " The 
great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to 
stand?" 
The wise. Wise are they who cry before that hour. Those who 

weep over their sins now, and find remission through the 
blood of Christ, will " be able to stand" in that " Great 
day of his wrath." Oh, that every one to whom these 
words are addressed would bow in humility before the 
throne of grace while the opportunity is given, that they 
may be " able to stand " before " the great white throne" 
at last ! 

raHine! 1 ' 1 " We now turn our attention to the political line of events, 

which is introduced under this seal, and which runs paral- 
lel with the physical events already noticed. The symbol 



416 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Rev. 7. 

Descrip- 
tion. 



Reference 
to the 
Chart. 



Angels, 
earth and 
winds. 



The four 
angels. 



Literal 
angels. 

An angel 
as a 
symbol. 



These four 
angels 
exerting 
power. 
Providen- 
tial agents. 



representing this political line is described in the^rs^ verses 
of the seventh chapter of Revelation, as follows : 

"And after these things" — things already described under 
the sixth seal, and before the opening of the seventh — ' ' I saw 
four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, 
holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should 
not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 

"And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having 
the seal of the living God ; and he cried with a loud voice 
to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth 
and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, 
nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of God in 
their foreheads." 

We have the earth represented upon the chart with 
four angels at the four corners, that this symbol may be 
kept clearly in mind while we consider its meaning. We 
are obliged to treat this as a symbol, because it cannot be 
applied literally and convey sense ; but this is a different 
symbol from any we have considered during these lectures, 
and we must give careful attention to the investigation of it. 

We have angels, earth and winds, all introduced in this 
symbol, and we must learn what is represented by each 
of these, in order to understand the symbol as a whole. 
We therefore enquire, first, concerning the " four angels," 
and seek to know what they represent in the symbol. 

We learn that while there are literal angels, angels are 
sometimes used as symbols, and when one is thus used he 
represents a messenger of God, or a providential agent of 
His. When used to symbolize a messenger of God, the 
angel is represented as bearing a message, or delivering 
an official communication. When used to symbolize an 
agent of God, the angel is represented as exerting power. 
These "four angels " are not described as delivering a 
message, but as exerting power, "holding the four winds" 
— therefore they must represent four providential agents 
of God, which are appointed to exert power for a special 
purpose, that of " holding the four winds of the earth." 

These angels, or agents, are also described as " stand- 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



417 



The earth, 
and what 
it repre- 
sents. 



The 
Roman 
empire, its 
present 
condition. 

Not repre- 
sented by a 
beast. 



The Earth 
the only 
proper 
symbol. 



ing on the four corners of the earth," and we wish to know 
what " the earth " represents. 

In tracing the opening of these seals from the first 
we have seen the Roman Empire was represented by 
the horse, until it became so broken up at the end 
of the Papal persecution, and as the result of the 
French Revolution, that it could no longer be repre- 
sented in symbol by a horse. The last symbolic-horse 
used to represent it was of a character to indicate its 
death, as we have seen that it, in its paleness, represented 
loss of vitality and a tendency to decay. At last it ceased 
to be an empire, and after the French Revolution its terri- 
tory was parceled out to the different nations ; and many 
governments have existed from that time to the present 
upon the territory once occupied by the Fourth Empire of 
the World. The territory still exists ; the capital cities of 
its two grand divisions still stand ; but one is simply the 
capital of the Kingdom of Italy, and the other of the Otto- 
man Empire. 

The Roman Empire having thus been broken up, is not 
in a condition to be properly represented by a horse or any 
other beast ; and yet, as its territory exists, and no one 
grand and universal empire has yet superseded it, we may 
expect to see a symbol introduced which properly repre- 
sents the territory of this Fourth Empire, until the time 
shall come for it to be superseded by another Great Em- 
pire, as it superseded the Grecian, and as the Grecian 
Empire superseded the Medo-Persian, and as the Medo 
Persian superseded the Babylonian. 

' ' The earth " is the only symbol which could properly 
represent this ; and it is introduced in this symbolic repre- 
sentation simply to represent the territory of this Fourth, 
or Roman, Empire, while its surface is covered with gov- 
ernments and empires, which are simply fragments of that 
last, Universal Empire. 

Now we inquire concerning " the four winds," for they 
must be understood before we can comprehend this won- 
derful symbol. 



418 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



The four 
winds, and 
what they 
represent. 



The same 
symbol 
used in 
Daniel. 



Four 

winds 

strove 

upon the 

Great Sea, 

and 

produced 

the four 

beasts. 

The sea, its 

meaning. 



Means 
used. 



How estab- 
lished. 



By war 

and 
conquest. 



What do the "four winds" represent? They have been 
used in a symbolic sense before, although we have not 
given attention to what they signify as yet. 

" The four winds," mean, the winds blowing from the 
four points of compass. 

We find this same symbol is used in the book of Daniel, 
when, in the seventh chapter, that prophet describes the 
four peculiar beasts which he saw representing the Four 
Great Empires of the World, as we have seen. Dan- 
iel says, in describing the vision : — 

"I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds 
of the heaven strove upon the great sea and four great beasts 
came up from the sea, diverse one from another." 

When he asked what these things meant, he was told 
that "These great beasts, which are four, are four kings 
[or kingdoms] which shall arise out of the earth." 

According to the vision, these four beasts were produced 
by the four winds striving upon the Great Sea ; and if the 
four beasts represented four kingdoms, the four winds, 
which produced or brought up the four beasts, must rep- 
resent that which produced, or brought up the four king- 
doms. These four winds strove upon the great sea and 
caused the four beasts to come up from the sea ; and we 
learn that the sea, or waters, when used as a symbol, rep- 
resent " peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues." (Rev. 
17 : 15.) Now the four kingdoms, represented by the four 
beasts, were made up of peoples, multitudes, nations and 
tongues ; but there was some means used by which all these 
became consolidated into these kingdoms, in their order ; 
for peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues, do not make 
a kingdom, until they are conquered and become estab- 
lished in a kingdom. 

Now we ask, How were these four kingdoms estab- 
lished? By what means were they produced, or brought 
up, to stand in their glory, holding sway over all nations? 
They were established by war and conquest. The winds 
of war swept over the people and nations, until all were 
conquered, and the kingdoms were thus established in their 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



419 



Nebuchad- 
nezzar the 
hero of the 
first 
empire. 



Cyrus the 
hero of the 
second 
empire. 



Alexander 
the Great 
the hero of 
the third 
empire. 



Julius 
Ca-sar, a 
hero. 
His failure 



order from first to last. Therefore, winds represent war, 
and the four winds represent general war, when the winds 
of war, blowing from every direction, sweep over all na- 
tions, until those nations are brought together and become 
consolidated in one mighty empire. 

Nebuchadnezzar appeared as the hero of the first Em- 
pire ; and being ambitious to stand as the monarch of the 
world, and thus to control all nations, he commenced his 
conquests, and the winds of war blew — strove — in his 
interests until they had swept over all nations ; and, hav- 
ing conquered the world, he established the First Univer- 
sal Empire of its history, and stood in his glory at the 
head of it. But, after a time, that Empire began to de- 
cline in power, and became so much weakened that its 
ruler no longer held sway over all nations ; and then an- 
other hero appeared, and the winds of war blew in the 
interests of Cyrus, who, at the head of the Medes and Per- 
sians, was determined to establish a second Universal Em- 
pire ; and the peoples, multitudes, nations and tongues 
were again conquered, and the Medo-Persian Empire was 
established. 

After a time this second empire began to decline, and it 
gradually lost its strength and power, until it no longer 
held sway over all nations ; and then another ambitious 
hero appeared, and the winds of war swept over the na- 
tions again in the interests of Alexander the Great ; 
and the Grecian Empire, the third in the world's history, 
was established in its glory, with that aspiring monarch at 
its head. 

But in a short time Alexander fell, and his government 
was divided into four parts ; and in four divisions its his- 
tory continued ; until it became so much weakened that the 
nations were no longer subject to Grecian rule, when an- 
other ambitious hero sought to establish . a fourth Empire 
of Universal sway, and the winds of war blew in the inter- 
ests of Julius Czesar, until lie conquered the nations ; but 
he fell, before he succeeded in establishing the desired em- 
pire ; but his successor, Caius Octavius, appeared as 



420 



THE WOULD' S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Caesar 
Augustus, 
the"hero of 
the fourth 
empire. 



Napoleon 
Bonaparte 
tbe hero 
who 

attempted 
to estab- 
lish a fifth 
empire. 

His course 
described. 



Spark of 
ambition 
kindled. 



His object 
revealed in 
his own 
statements 



Octavius Caesar, and succeeded in erecting the fourth Uni- 
versal Empire of the world ; and, bearing the title, CLesar 
Augustus, stood at the head of the Roman Empire when 
it was in its glory. 

We have traced the history of this Roman Empire 
through the days of its glory, and then, onward, through 
its decline and fall, until we have come to the point where 
it ceased to hold sway over all nations and became broken 
up and divided ; and then another mighty hero appeared, 
who became ambitious to establish a fifth empire. 

In the midst of the excitement which prevailed in France, 
as the common people clamored for their rights against the 
aristocracy, Napoleon Bonaparte appeared, to assist in 
the interests of the oppressed against their oppressors. He 
had no ambition, at first, but to see them triumph; but 
when, in command of their forces, he was called to ad- 
vance upon the enemy, and succeeded in overrunning the 
Piedmont, and in conquering a peace with Sardinia ; when 
he passed the river Po with his forces, and proudly crossed 
the Adda at the bridge of Lodi, the thought suddenly 
flashed across his mind that he might " become a mighty 
conqueror," and, in his own interests, wage war with the 
nations until he should reduce them all, and then establish 
a -fifth Great Empire, over which he might reign, monarch 
of the world. 

After he had crossed the Adda at the bridge of Lodi, 
and that spark of ambition, to become a mighty con- 
queror, was kindled in his heart, for the first time in his 
life, from that time onward, the whole energies of Napo- 
leon Bonaparte were bent in the direction of conquering 
the nations, and of establishing another Universal Empire, 
at the head of which he might stand, in his glory. This 
object he clearly revealed in his statements concerning 
his defeat at Acre, when, after he had made his expedi- 
tion into Egypt, in A.D. 1797, he attempted to fight 
his way through to Constantinople, to make that city the 
grand capital of his anticipated empire. He thought that 
if he could take the town of Acre, which stood as the 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



421 



The state- 
ment 
quoted. 



Ambitious 
still. 



Winds of 
war. 

Described 
by Eld. J. 
Couch. 



Winds 
strove to 
produce a 
fifth 
empire. 
Failure. 



Why? 

His ability- 
compared 
with others 



gateway to the dominions of the Sultan, he could easily 
have accomplished his design ; so he said to Mueat, as he 
advanced upon Acre : " The fate of the East depends upon 
yon petty town ;" and when he failed to take Acre (being 
defeated by the Sultan and his allies, and was forced to 
sound a retreat for the first time in his life) , he claimed it 
was " the mistake of a captain" which caused him to fail. 
" Otherwise," said he, " Acre would have fallen ; I would 
have fled to Damascus and Aleppo ; in the twinkling of an 
eye I would have been at the Euphrates ; I would have 
reached Constantinople and the Indies, and have changed 
the face of the world." 

Notwithstanding this failure to accomplish his design, 
his ambition still continued ; and the winds of war blew in 
his interests, until every throne trembled and every ruler 
dreaded the approach of his armies. These winds of war, 
which blew, in the interests of Napoleon Bonaparte, have 
been described as " Sweeping around the pyramids of 
Egypt, and howling over the desolated palaces of Syria ; 
uprooting the trees of State in Italy ; prostrating all the 
thrones of Germany, Spain and Portugal ; terribly shaking 
the ' fast-anchored Isles ; ' carrying devastation and ruin 
around the North Sea ; rolling its waves fearfully against 
the coast of the Norwegian and Swede ; disregarding the 
boundary lines of the Kussian dominions ; bending low its 
strongly rooted forests ; shaking the imperial residence, so 
that ' the chief prince of Meshek and Tubal ' (the Czar of 
Eussia) burned his own house, that it might not become a 
shelter-tent for the invading foe." (Eld. J. Couch, Good 
Tidings, page 327.) 

Thus the winds of war strove to produce or establish 
another Universal Kingdom, — a Fifth Empire ; but such 
an Empire was not established. Napoleon Bonaparte 
failed to fill the throne of the "World's Monarch, notwith- 
standing his great efforts to do so. 

But what prevented him? Why was he not successful, 
as well as others who had preceded him? His ability 
was as great as that of Nebuchadnezzar, Cyrus the Great, 



422 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Questions 
not to be 
avoided. 
One great 
obstacle. 



God's 
representa- 
tion. 

To be only 
four 

universal 
empires. 
Human 
form, 
human 
govern- 
ments. 

Metallic 
image. 
The four 
beasts. 
No fifth 
beast. 
No fifth- 
beast 
kingdom. 
So Napo- 
leon failed. 
Defeated 
by the four 
allied 
powers. 



Symbol to 
be applied. 



The four 
angels 
repre- 
sent four 
agents. 
The Earth 
the terri- 
tory of the 
empire. 
The four 
winds, war 



Alexander the Great, or Octavius Caesar ; and wiry should 
he not succeed as well as they? 

These are important questions which cannot be avoided ; 
and, in examining the subject, we find that there was one 
great obstacle in the way of that aspiring Corsican, which 
prevented him from accomplishing his great design and 
establishing a Fifth Universal Empire. 

God had represented that there should be only four 
Universal Empires upon the earth under the dictation of 
man. He had taken the human form to represent these 
human governments ; and, in that Metallic Image, revealed 
the history of the world, under the power and control of 
man, in four, successive, predominant kingdoms, or em- 
pires ; and in the four beasts which Daniel saw, these same 
four empires were represented ; but there was no fifth 
beast, which came up to represent a fifth empire; there- 
fore, when the winds of war strove in the interests of Na- 
poleon, they strove in vain, for no fifth-beast-kingdom 
could be produced ; and so he failed to establish such an 
empire, being defeated at last, as we have seen, by the 
four allied powers of Europe. 

Thus we have considered the work of the four symbolic 
winds, as they, in their strivings, produced four empires, 
which were established in their order ; and then, as they 
strove in the interests of Napoleon Bonaparte, to produce 
a fifth, but were prevented ; and now we are prepared to 
apply this wonderful symbol of the four angels standing 
" on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds, 
. . . that they should not blow on the earth." 

We have seen that the "four angels" represent four 
agents, who exert their power to hold the four winds ; that 
' ' the earth " represents the territory of the Roman Empire ; 
and that the four winds represent war. 

The "four angels" on the four corners of the earth, 
holding the four winds, that they should not blow on the 
earth, represents four agents, on the Roman territory, ex- 
erting their power to hold in check the winds of war, or, to 



THE R OMAN EMPIRE — PR OPHE TICAL. 



423 



Winds 
must exist. 



Winds of 
war must 
blow. 

They did 
blow. 



Must be 
held in 
check. 



Difficult to 
seize hold 
of them. 

England, 
Austria, 
Prussia 
and Russia 
combined. 



The , 

decisive 
battle, 1815 



Thus the 
four angels 
take hold 
of the four 
winds. 
They are 
held. 



Alliance 
continued. 
Keep the 
peace of 
Europe. 



control the war elements. Winds must exist before there 
can be anything to hold ; they must blow before any exer- 
tion is necessary to hold them in check. So the ivinds 
of ivar must blow upon the Roman territory before they 
can be held by the angels ; and Ave have seen that they did 
blow in the interests of Napoleon Bonaparte, as they did 
in the interests of those other great heroes, until every 
throne trembled, and every ruler dreaded the approach of 
his armies who aspired to the crown of a Universal Mon- 
arch. Then, when the winds of war were sweeping over 
the territory of the Old Roman Empire, blowing in their 
fierceness from the four different points of compass, it be- 
came evident that they must be held in check and con- 
trolled, or every throne would be overturned and Napoleon 
would sway the sceptre over all nations. 

It was difficult to seize hold of those winds of war to 
control them, and several unsuccessful efforts were made 
to do so ; but, finally, the four principal powers of Eu- 
rope — England, Austria, Prussia and Russia — com- 
bined themselves into an alliance, to operate against Na- 
poleon, to grasp the winds of war and bring about peace. 

The decisive battle was fought at Waterloo, in 1815, in 
which these allied powers were victorious, and the would- 
be-monarch, in whose interests the winds of war had been 
blowing so fiercely, was vanquished, taken prisoner, and, 
finally, sent away* into exile. Then the four allied powers 
adjusted the affairs of Europe, and, having hushed the 
fearful storm into silence, peace was established, the war 
elements being controlled by these four powers. Thus did 
the four agents, England, Austria, Prussia and Russia, 
represented by the four angels, take hold of the four winds 
of war, and they ceased to blow, being held in the iron 
grasp of the four allied powers. 

The four powers, having adjusted the affairs of Europe 
and brought about peace upon the territory of the Roman 
Empire, continued their alliance for the purpose of keeping 
the peace of Europe, and preventing the winds of war from 
sweeping over the nations again ; and from 1815 to the 



424 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Balance of 
power. 



Another 
angel 
described. 
Seal of the 
living God. 



This angel 
symbolic. 

Represents 
a messener 
and an 
agent, both 



Meaning of 
of a seal. 



Holy 
Spirit. 
Eph. 4: 30 



The agent 
has the 
Holy 
Spirit of 
God. 

His work. ' 

Not one 
man alone. 



present time, the balance of power in Europe, and among 
the nations of the Old World, has been in the hands of 
the allied powers ; and as we have seen in tracing the 
history, every time the winds of war have commenced to 
blow upon that territory, from that date to the present, 
these allied powers Jiave succeeded in controlling the war 
elements, and in " holding" the winds in check. 

While the four angels are thus holding the four winds, 
"another angel" is described as "Ascending from the 
east, having the seal of the living God ; and he cried," it is 
said, " with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it 
was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not 
the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed 
the servants of our God in their foreheads." 

This other angel is symbolic, — as well as the four who are 
described as holding " the four winds," — and he not only 
represents an agent, but he also represents a messenger. 
He exerts his power to seal the servants of God in their 
foreheads, and delivers an official command, saying to the 
four angels who hold the four winds, "Hurt not the earth, 
neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the ser- 
vants of our God in their foreheads." 

This agent has "the seal of the living God." A seal is a 
mark, or figure, — an engraved stamp ; and when used in 
this metaphorical or symbolic sense, it represents the in- 
strument with which God's people are marked, or stamped ; 
and that instrument, according to Eph. 4 : 30, is the Holy 
Spirit ; for there we read : " Grieve not the Holy Spirit of 
God, whereby ye are sealed" — marked or stamped — 
" unto the day of redemption." 

The agent, then, who is represented by the angel that 
ascends from the east, having the seal of the living God, 
must be one who has the Holy Spirit of God, and with that 
Spirit goes forth to seal the servants of God in their fore- 
heads ; thus preparing them for the " day of redemption." 
And one is not to do the work alone ; for the angel 
said to the four angels : " Hurt not the earth . . . till we 
have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads," 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



425 



The angel 
and his 
associates 
represent 
the min- 
isters of 
the Gospel 
in their 
work, 
while the 
winds are 
held. 



Great 
work done. 



Bible 

societies, 

etc. 



This angel- 
messenger 
makes a 
special 
proclama- 
tion. 

Sealing, 
special 
reference 
to securing 
the people 
against 
that time. 



implying that other's were associated with him in this work 
of sealing the servants of God. 

It is evident that this angel and his associates, in their 
special work, represent the ministers of the Gospel, in 
their special work among the children of men, during the 
time that the four angels are engaged in holding the four 
winds ; or, while the four allied powers are exerting their 
power to keep the peace of Europe ; that as many as pos- 
sible may be secured against the terrible storm which is to 
sweep over the earth when the winds are let go, causing 
the sea of nations and people to foam and boil in fury, 
while the strong trees of State are uprooted forever. 

Since 1815, when the four angels commenced to hold 
the four winds, a great and important work has been done 
by the true servants of God, in preaching the Gospel, cir- 
culating Bibles and tracts, and in general missionary work. 

The British and Foreign Bible Society, which was 
organized in 1804, has done the principal part of its noble 
work, since this alliance was formed in 1815. 

The American Bible Society has done a remarkable 
work in issuing Bibles and scattering them abroad, for the 
purpose of enlightening the people and influencing them 
to enter the service of God. Many other Bible Societies, 
Tract Societies, and other Christian organizations have 
been established since that time, which have helped to carry 
the Gospel to all nations, as the different acts of toleration 
have given the opportunity to do so, until the "Gospel of 
the Kingdom" has been "preached in" nearly "all the 
world, for a witness." 

But this angel-messenger makes a special proclamation, 
to the four angels who are holding the four winds, " sav- 
ing, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor any trees, till 
we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads." 
This implies that the sealing has special reference to the se- 
curing of the people against that time when the earth shall 
be hurt, when the angels, finally ceasing to hold the four 
winds, let go, which brings us to the opening of the seventh 
seal, and the scenes of the Judgment. 



426 



TEE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



A special 
effort. 



To com- 
mence in 
the East. 



Has it been 
made since 
1815 ? 



1820. 

Joseph 
Wolfe. 



1823. 

Edward 

Irving. 



John 
"Wesley. 



William 
Miller. 



A special effort is, therefore, represented as inaugurated, 
to prepare the people for the Day of Judgment ; and it is 
also represented that this special work would commence in 
"the east ; " for that angel is described as " ascending from 
the east." 

But, has there been any such effort made since 1815, 
when the "four angels" commenced to hold "the four 
winds ? " 

In 1820, only five years after the four great powers were 
allied to keep the peace of Europe, Joseph Wolfe com- 
menced, in Asia, to preach that the Day of Judgment was 
at hand ; declaring, in that Eastern country, that many of 
the signs which should precede that event, as described in 
the prophetic word of God, had appeared, which indicated 
its near approach. 

In 1823, Edward Irving, that noted English orator, 
commenced to proclaim the same message in Europe, pro- 
ducing the same class of evidences, and stirring the people 
with his eloquence and reasonings ; and since that time a 
large number in the Old World and upon the Continent of 
America have arisen to proclaim this Judgment message, 
until the whole world has been affected by it. 

John Wesley, also, did his part in this work, and even 
figured upon the prophetic periods of Revelation which 
concern this event, and came to the conclusion that they 
ended about 1836 ; and his figures are found to-day in his 
"Notes on the New Testament." 

After a time, William Miller, of Low Hampton, N.Y., 
having become convinced of the truthfulness of the Holy 
Scriptures, by comparing their prophetic representations 
and declarations with the facts of history, was converted 
to Christ from Deism, and united with the Baptist Church 
in the town where he resided, and soon commenced to 
lecture upon the fulfillment of prophecy, and to show that, 
according to its fulfillment, the great day of God was close 
at hand. He figured upon the prophetic periods, as John 
Wesley had done ; and, according to his reckoning, he 
concluded that they ended about 1843. His arguments 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



427 



A large 
number 
have gone 
forth. 



Late Dr. 

John 

Cumming. 



Horatius 
Bonar, and 
others. 



were so conclusive, that the people were greatly affected 
by them, and he had access to the churches of the different 
religious denominations, to stir them with his powerful 
reasonings, until the time passed by, when he had said 
that he thought, according to the best light he had, that 
the Lord would come. Then the people turned against 
him, and the doors of the churches were closed against the 
preaching of these doctrines of the speedy coming of 
Christ ; and those who believed that, according to the ful- 
fillment of God's word, the end was near, notwithstanding 
John Wesley and William Miller had failed in their 
time arguments, were branded as MiLLER-£tes, and ridi- 
culed. 

Some claiming to believe these things, justly merited 
ridicule, because of their wild and fanatical course. They 
carried things to the extreme, just as has been done in 
connection with the proclamation of every truth. But the 
principal ones, whose sound judgment was convinced of 
the fact that the " end of all things was at hand," calmly, 
substantially and earnestly took their position upon the 
solid foundation of the word of God, and, notwithstanding 
the reproach, faithfully advocated that there was sufficient 
and strong evidence to warrant the followers of Christ in 
believing that the Lord was soon to come. 

Since the excitement of those times a large number have 
gone forth to warn the world of coming judgment, in the 
midst of increasing evidence that their position is correct, 
until we find to-day that the very best men, the most 
deeply devoted and most highly educated, in the different 
denominations, are proclaiming this last, special message 
to the people. 

The late Dr. John Cumming, of the Scotch Church, 
Crown Court, London, preached and wrote much upon 
this important subject ; and his writings are left to preach 
the last message still, though he, their author, has fallen 
under the power of death, to await the coming event. 

Horatius Bonar, also of the same church, is preach- 
ing, writing, and laboring otherwise, in the same direction, 



428 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Mr. Moody 



Mr 
Sankey. 

P. P. Bliss. 



World 
affected. 



with others in Europe ; while in the United States find 
Canada a large number, noted for their deep-toned piety 
and knowledge of the Word of God, are preaching these 
truths. 

Mr. Moody, the great evangelist, distinguished for his 
earnest devotions and zealous labors, has found the doc- 
trine of Christ's second coming, as an event near at hand, 
so essential to move the people, that he has preached it 
boldly and fearlessly, believing it to be the truth of God. 

Mr. Sankey and the late P. P. Bliss, have embodied 
these sentiments in their hymns, which have been sung 
around the world ; and thus the people have been warned 
to prepare for the things which are shortly coming upon 
the earth. 

The earnestness and faithfulness of those who have been 
thus engaged in declaring these truths to the world has 
excited opposition on the part of many, who attempt 
to refute their arguments by saying that "there is no 
foundation for them." But those who oppose only give 
evidence of the fact that they have never given the subject 
a candid and thorough investigation. 

The world has been so affected by the preaching of the 
soon coming of Christ, that there seems to be a general 
and awful impression that some terrible event is about to 
transpire. All classes are moved with fear, when any 
event of an unusual, startling character occurs, lest the 
day of Judgment may have come. 

This deep, and evidently permanent impression ; this 
dread of impending doom ; this feeling which is stirred at 
the occurrence of every phenomenon, — whether especially 
..a doom-declaring sign or not, — seems never to have seized 
the hearts of the people previous to that, first of all, the 
great and God-made indicator of the event, — the darken- 
ing of the sun, May 19th, 1780. And it will be ever 
ready, as a watchman to give the alarm ; as God's agent 
to warn men to regard His signs. 

And thus " men's hearts are failing them for fear, and 
for looking after the things which are coming upon the 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE — PROPHETICAL. 



429 



How long ? 



"While the 
winds are 
held. 



Day of 

probation 

ends. 



The four 

allied 

powers 

cannot 

keep the 

peace 

much 

longer. 

Storm 

gathering. 



The"rising 

cloud" 

watched. 



earth," while those who are to stand at last are being se- 
cured, by being converted to God, and yielding to be 
sealed by His Holy Spirit, " unto the day of redemp- 
tion." 

But how long is this special judgment message to be 
proclaimed ? How long shall the people of this world have 
the opportunity in which to prepare for the coming storm ? 
Only while the four angels continue to hold the four winds. 
If, therefore, we have rightly understood this symbol, 
when once the four allied powers cease to control the war 
elements, and to keep the peace of Europe ; when once the 
balance of power is broken and the winds of war begin to 
sweep over the nations, involving them in that mighty 
struggle which has been threatening so long ; then the day 
of probation will end. The last gospel sermon will have 
been preached ; the last gospel invitation extended ; the 
last prayer offered ; and the last effort will have been made 
to reach the unsaved and bring them to Christ. 

The four allied powers now sustain such a relationship to 
each other, and to the other nations, that it is evident they 
cannot keep the peace of Europe much longer. The winds 
are howling in their impatience to break away, and the 
storm is gathering in blackness ; the lightnings are flash- 
ing and the thunders are muttering ; indicating that the 
bursting of the storm is to be of the most terrific character. 

Statesmen, politicians and private citizens are watching 
the " rising cloud" with deep interest ; and, yet, but few 
realize the awful character and consequences of the threat- 
ening tempest, and that, when it bursts in its fury upon 
them, their destiny is fixed forever. 



Seventh 

Seal 

opened. 



As we come to this solemn moment, the seventh seal will 
be opened upon the closing, boisterous tumult of a doomed 
world ; revealing what had been the condition of things in 
heaven at the close of probation ; as John, in describing 
this, said, that "When he had opened the seventh seal 
there was " — or had been — " silence in heaven, for about 
the space of half an hour." 



430 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Solemn 
silence. 



Personal 
questions. 



This solemn "silence in heaven" marks the end of pro- 
bation, when Jesus will have "risen up and shut to the 
door" of mercy, which has been open so long; and his 
sweet, tender voice, which has been heard pleading for 
more than eighteen hundred years, will cease to be heard ; 
and there will be no more rejoicing among the angels over 
sinners converted to God. 

Then, for a little moment, just before the Lord appears 
"in the clouds of heaven," to summon the nations to an 
account, this "silence" prevails "in heaven;" then the 
scenes of the Judgment will burst upon an ungodly world, 
and all the awfulness of catastrophe and doom will be 
meted out to it. 

Friend : we are almost to the time when our probation 
will end. What is your position ? Are you ready to ren- 
der up your account to Him who is to "judge the world in 
righteousness ? " Is your name recorded in the ' ' Lamb's 
book of life?" These are important questions. May 
God help you, and help us all, to be secured against that 
day when "The nations" shall be "angry," and the wrath 
of God shall have come, and the " time of the dead that 
they" shall " be judged," and He " shall give reward unto" 
His " servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them 
that fear" his "name, small and great," and shall "destroy 
them which destroy " — corrupt — " the earth." 



LECTURE VH. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



THE SCAELET BEAST AND HIS RIDER— REV. XVII. 



The sub- 
ject of this 
lecture. 

First, the 
description 
noticed. 
Second, 
the explan- 
ation. 

Third, the 
application 



The 
description 



The subject of this Lecture is of a wonderfully inter- 
esting and important character ; and in order to bring it 
properly before us for investigation, we shall notice the 
description which John gives of what he saw, as described 
in the seventeenth chapter of Revelation ; also the ex- 
planation of the angel concerning the matter ; after which 
we shall notice the application of the symbol to the facts 
of history. 

In the third verse of this chapter, John commences the 
description of what he saw, and continues that description 
to the close of the sixth verse, as follows : — 

" So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilder- 
ness : and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, 
full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten 
horns. 

' ' And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet 
color, and decked with gold and precious stones and 
pearls, having a golden cup in her hand, full of abomina- 
tions and filthiness of her fornication : 

" And upon her forehead was a name written, MYS- 
TERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF 
HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 

' ' And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the 



432 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



This 

symbol on 
the chart. 



The 
angel's 
proposi- 
tion. 



A mystery. 



The angel 
explains 
the 
mystery. 



The ex- 
planation. 



saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus : and 
when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration " (or 
great wonder). 

This symbol is represented in a line at the bottom of the 
chart, on which the other symbols of Revelation are pic- 
tured. 

The angel beholding the astonishment of John, said 
unto him: "Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell 
thee the mystery of the woman and of the beast that car- 
rieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns." 

This symbolic representation, according to the descrip- 
tion, was certainly a "mystery;" and many say, because 
of its mysterious character, that we must not try to under- 
stand it. But the angel told John "the mystery," and 
made it plain to his understanding, and we purpose to 
read that explanation, which is given in the following 
words : — 

" The beast that thou sawest was, and is not ; and shall 
ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition : 
and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose 
names were not written in the book of life from the foun- 
dation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, 
and is not, and yet is. 

"And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The 
seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman 
sitteth. 

" And there are seven kings : five are fallen, and one is, 
and the other is not yet come ; and when he cometh, he 
must continue a short space. 

"And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the 
eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. 

"And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, 
which have received no kingdom as yet ; but receive power 
as kings one hour with the beast. 

" These have one mind, and shall give their power and 
strength unto the beast. 

" These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb 
shall overcome them : for he is Lord of lords, and King of 



THE R OMAN EMPIRE — PR OPHE TICAL. 



433 



Subject 
before us. 

Language 

peculiar. 

Forcible. 



The beast. 



The seven 
heads. 



kings : and they that are with him are called, and chosen, 
and faithful. 

" And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, 
where the harlot sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and 
nations, and tongues. 

" And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, 
these shall hate the harlot, and shall make her desolate 
and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with 
fire. 

" For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and 
to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the 
words of God shall be fulfilled. 

" And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, 
which reigneth over the kings of the earth." 

The subject being thus clearly before us for investiga- 
tion, we seek to know where and how it applies. 

The language of the angelic interpreter is very pecu- 
liar ; and because of its peculiarity, it becomes more forci- 
ble when correctly understood and properly applied. 

The angel, in explaining this symbol of the Scarlet 
beast and his rider, says : — 

" The beast that thou sawest was, and is not,'''' — in other 
words, the beast existed, and then did not exist, — " and 
shall ascend out of the bottomless pit," — the abyss, — 
' ' and go into perdition : and they that dwell on the earth 
shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book 
of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold 
the beast that was, and is not, and yet is." 

The beast that existed, and then did not exist, is here 
represented as ascending out of the abyss and existing 
again; which caused some to wonder, as they saw the 
beast that existed, and then ceased to exist, and then ex- 
isted again, — "The beast that was, and is not, and yet is." 

The angel says further : ' ' Here is the mind which hath 
wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which 
the woman sitteth. And there are seven kings [or, as 
rendered in the New Version, " They are seven kings"] ; 



434 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



The seven 

heads a 

double 

symbol. 

Seven 

mountains 

Seven 

kings. 



The repre- 
sentation 
on the 
chart. 



five are fallen, one is, and the other is not yet come; and 
when he cometh, he must continue a short space." 

By this language, we see that the " seven heads" of this 
scarlet beast are a double symbol, representing, first, 
" seven mountains," and, second, " seven kings." 

The "seven mountains" all exist at once, and the 
woman is represented as sitting upon them. The " seven 
kings do not all exist at once, but in succession, from first 
to last ; and yet the mountains and kings are both repre- 
sented by the heads of the beast. 

Because of this fact we have the beast represented upon 
the chart with "seven heads" upon him, as they signify 
"seven mountains," and then we have the seven heads ar- 
ranged, to signify properly the "seven kings," in the order 
in which they are described. Five heads are arranged 
in the rear of the beast, as though fallen, for it was 
said of the kings which are thus represented, "five are 
fallen." 

The sixth head appears as the main head upon the beast ; 
and the seventh one is before the beast, as though ready to 
take its place upon that beast as soon as the sixth should 
fall; because the angel not only said of the kings, "five 
are fallen," but one is" — the sixth one — represented by 
the main head on the beast; and, further, "the other is 
not yet come." This other is represented by the seventh 
head, which is before the beast, and ready to take the 
place of the sixth head as it falls. 



First, the 
seven 
heads as 
seven 
mountains. 



New 
symbol. 

A woman. 



First, we notice the "seven heads," as representative of 
"seven mountains on which the woman sitteth ; " but as 
we do so, we see that it is impossible to understand ivhat 
"seven mountains" are referred to, until we learn what 
the woman represents, as she is described as sitting on 
these " seven mountains." , 

A new symbol is introduced here, which is altogether 
different from any other symbol noticed in these lectures. 
It is "a woman." We have had man, beasts, angels, earth 
and winds, all used as symbols ; and now- ' ' woman " is in- 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



435 



What the 
angel said 
of her. 



Is woman 
used as a 
symbol 
elsewhere ? 



troduced as a symbol, and we must inquire what she rep- 
resents. 

The angel-speaker says, in the last verse of this chapter, 
* ' The woman which thou sawest is that great city which 
reigneth over the kings of the earth ; " but before we can 
fully appreciate this woman-symbol, we must examine the 
subject thoroughly, to see if woman is used as a symbol 
anywhere else in the "Word of God, and if so, to learn what 
she is used to represent. 



Investi- 
gation of 
the subject 

God's 

ancient 

people. 



Churches 
called by 
the names 
of the 
cities. 

Jerusalem 

and 

Samaria. 

Two 

women 

represent 

them. 

Aholah 

and 

Aholibah. 



In reading the Old Testament Scriptures we find, that dur- 
ing the history of the nations and their empires, God had 
a special people, over whom he had special care, whose foot- 
steps he directed, until, as we have noticed, he finally estab- 
lished a kingdom among them in the name of David. Solo- 
mon, the successor of David, built the temple for the wor- 
ship of God in the city of Jerusalem, the capital of their 
kingdom ; and, in connection with that temple, God's an- 
cient people, or church, worshipped Him. 

After the death of Solomon the kingdom was divided, 
and the church also. A large number went off and set up 
a separate kingdom, with Samaria for its capital ; and in 
Jerusalem and Samaria both, were found peoples profess- 
ing to be the Church of God. These two churches were so 
intimately associated with these respective cities in which 
they were located, that they were often called by the 
names of these cities, — Jerusalem and Samaria ; and God 
represented his professed people in these cities by two 
women, and speaks of them as sisters, and represents each 
of them as having sustained the relation to him of a wife to 
her husband. The names of the two women by whom he 
represented his professed people were "Aholah, and Aho- 
libah her sister ; " and in explaining the matter, he said : 
" Samaria is Aholah, and Jerusalem Aholibah." (Ez. 
23 : 4.) Thus we see that his ancient, professed people, 
identified with their two capital cities, were each repre- 
sented by the symbol of a woman. 

God also represents himself as putting each of these 



436 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



God puts 
each of 
them away 



The new 
dispensa- 
tion. 

Church of 
Christ 
repre- 
sented by 
a woman. 

2 Cor. 11 : 
2. 



Pure 
woman. 



Rev. 19 : 7 

Marriage 
of the 
Lamb. 



The true 
church 
associated 
with a city. 



away, and divorcing her because of her unfaithfulness to 
Him ; just as a husband would put away his wife. This 
clearly proves that God illustrated His ancient Church by 
a woman, using her as a symbol. 

Then, when we come to the new dispensation, when the 
Church of Christ was established, we find that it, also, is 
represented by a woman ; for Paul, in writing to the Chris- 
tian Church at Corinth, says : " I am jealous over you with 
a godly jealousy ; for I have espoused you to one husband, 
that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." (2 
Cor. 11 : 2.) 

Here we see that the true church of Christ is repre- 
sented in symbol by a pure woman, " a chaste virgin" 
espoused to Christ. 

In Revelation 19 : 7, w T e read, concerning the marriage 
of Christ and his espoused church, " The marriage of the 
Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready ; " 
thus showing that the time is coming when Christ and his 
church shall be united to dwell together forever, as hus- 
band and wife. 

The true Church of Christ, thus symbolized by a woman, 
is also intimately associated with a city ; so that it, as the 
bride of the Lamb, is called by the name of the city. 

The grand capital of the kingdom of Christ, to whom 
his true church is espoused, is the New Jerusalem ; and 
when John on the Isle of Patmos was instructed to com& 
hither, and was told that he would be shown the bride, the 
Lamb's wife, he says : " He carried me away in the spirit 
to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great 
city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from 
God ;" and then he proceeds to describe the city in which 
the Church, pure and spotless, was seen. Thus the 
Church, in the city with which that Church is to be 
associated forever, "constitutes the bride, the Lamb's 
wife," and is called by the name of the city. 

By these references we see that woman has been used 
as a symbol to represent the Church, and that the Church 
thus represented has been so closely connected with a 



THE R OMAN EMPIRE — PR OPHE TICAL. 



437 



What 
church 
docs this 
woman 
represent ? 

A church 
identified 
with a city. 



capital city, that it has been called by the name of the 
city. 

With this understanding of what a woman is used in 
symbol to represent, we are prepared to enquire what 
Church and city this woman represents, as she sits upon 
the scarlet-colored beast ; for it is evident that she must 
represent a church, and that that church must be identified 
with some city by the name of which the Church is 
called ; for we read : " The woman which thou sawest is 
that great city which reigneth over the kings of the 
earth." 



She does 
not 

represent 
the true 
church. 

Chaste 

virgin. 

This 

woman 

corrupt. 

Represents 
an impure 
church. 



Located in 
a city. 

On seven 
mountains 

Seven 
heads, first, 
seven 
mountains 
Question of 
import- 
ance. 



Rome. 
Sits on 
seven 
mountains 



As this woman represents a church, we inquire : Does 
she represent Christ's true Church ? No ; for her char- 
acter will not permit us to identify her with that body 
of Christ, in its purity. "A chaste virgin" properly 
represents the pure Church, but this woman is corrupt, and 
therefore cannot represent a pure Church. She must 
therefore represent an impure church ; and we have learned 
that it is possible for a church which has once been pure, 
to become corrupted by departing from the true principles 
by which God seeks to control her, and according to this 
symbol, one must be found which has thus become cor- 
rupted, and has apostatized, and that one is to be located 
in a city — " That great city ivliich reigneth over the kings 
of the earth f and' that city is to be found on seven moun- 
tains, for we are told that the woman is that great city, 
and also that the seven heads of the beasts represent, first, 
11 seven mountains on which the woman" — or "city," — " sit- 
teth." Now we ask, Is there, or has there ever been, a city 
which has reigned over the kings of the earth, and which 
sitteth upon seven mountains? 

The last city which reigned over the kings of the earth, 
and stood as the capital of the world, was the imperial 
city of Rome, and that city literally "sitteth" upon " seven 
mountains," and has been known as "the seven-hilled" city 
for centuries. 

The names of these mountains on which Rome is built 



438 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Names of 
the moun- 
tains. 

Rome 

clearly 

identified. 



Church 
established 
in Rome. 



Apos- 
tatized. 
Called, 
Roman 
Catholic. 
This 
woman 
represents 
this church 
Peculiari- 
ties 
noticed. 



Arrayed in 
purple and 
scarlet. 



Colors 
worn by 
the Pope 
and his 
Cardinals. 
Their 
appear- 
ance 
described. 



Decked 
with gold, 
etc. 

What Mr. 

Addison 

says. 



are : Palatine, Capitoline, Quirinal, Gelian, Aventine, 
Viminal, and Esquiline. 

Rome, therefore, is clearly identified with this symbol, 
and must be that city which sittteth upon the seven moun- 
tains represented by the seven heads of the beast. Now 
we look to see if there has been a church identified with 
this city which could have been properly represented by 
this woman. "We have found, in tracing the history, that 
a church ivas established in Home even in the days of the 
apostles, and that after a time that church departed from 
the true principles of the gospel, and became thoroughly 
corrupted and apostatized. It came to be called the Ro- 
man Catholic Church, after the name of the city in which 
it was located ; therefore this woman who is introduced in 
this symbol, must represent that Roman Church located in 
the city of Rome, which sits upon the seven mountains. 

And now we purpose to notice the peculiar character- 
istics of this symbolic woman, to see if they can be prop- 
erly applied to this Roman Catholic Church. 

This woman is described, first, as being "arrayed in 
purple and scarlet color." 

Is there anything in the color of her dress by which to 
identify this woman on the scarlet-colored beast with the 
Roman Catholic Church? 

Purple and scarlet are the very colors worn by the Pope 
and his Cardinals ; and a writer, in describing the appear- 
ance of the members of the last Ecumenical Council, said 
that "The colors of their dresses were so dazzling that the 
bishops presented the appearance of a bed of tulips." Thus 
we see that the symbolic woman, in the colors of her dress, 
s clearly identified with the Church of Rome. 

This Avoman is described further as being " decked with 
gold and precious stones and pearls." 

Mr. Addison, who at one time saw some of the magnifi- 
cence of the Papal Court, said, in describing the great dis- 
play of costly articles : " Silver can scarcely find an admit- 
tance ; and gold itself looks but poorly amidst such an 
incredible number of precious stones." 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



439 



Complete 
identifi- 
cation. 



Immense 
riches. 



St. Peter's 
Cathedral. 



Palace of 
the Pope. 



Golden 
cup. 



1S25. 

Medal 

struck. 



Inscription 



Compared 
with Rev. 
18: 7. 



Pope 
uncon- 
sciously 
identifies 
himself. 

Name. 



In these things there is a complete identification of the 
symbolic woman and the Church which she represents. 
These costly articles with which the woman is decked, in- 
dicate abundant wealth, not only in the display of precious 
stones, but in all the surroundings of the thus represented 
Church ; and, certainly, this Church has possessed im- 
mense riches, and has been able, therefore, to build the 
most expensive church-edifice that has ever been erected 
by any professed Christian Church, — St. Peter's Cathe- 
dral at Rome, which is estimated to have cost two hundred 
and twenty-Jive millions of dollars. It covers about Jive 
acres of land, beside three acres which are occupied by 
surrounding buildings. The palace of the Pope is also a 
remarkable building. It is one thousand feet wide and one 
thousand two hundred feet long. It contains about twenty 
courts opening to the sky, and thousands of halls, chapels, 
saloons, and apartments." 

This woman is also described as " having a golden cup 
in her hand, full of abominations and filthiness of her for- 
nication." 

A wonderful identification of this symbol is found in the 
fact that, in 1825, the Pope had a medal struck, on one 
side of which was his own face, and on the other a woman 
with a cup in her hand, and underneath was placed the 
inscription : " Sedet, super, universum" — "She sits upon 

THE UNIVERSE." 

This inscription corresponds with the words of this 
woman as recorded in the eighteenth chapter and seventh 
verse, where we are told that " She saith in her heart, I 
sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow." 

The Pope thus unconsciously identified himself and his 
church with the woman on the scarlet-colored beast. 

We notice the description of her still further, and read 
that: "Upon her forehead was a name written, MYS- 
TERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, MOTHER OF HAR- 
LOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH." 
These are the words which now demand our attention. 

This emphatic name upon the woman's forehead is 



440 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Significant 



The Pope, 
and the 
vrord 

"Mystery" 
on iiis 
mitre. 



Why 

Babylon is 
introduced 



Likeness to 

ancient 

Babylon. 

Roman 

Catholic 

Church 

patterns 

after 

Babylon. 

Reference 

to First 

Lecture. 



Semiramis 



Controls 
religion. 
Chaldean 
mysteries. 



Queen of 
heaven. 



significant; but what does it signify? Is there anything 
in connection with it to identify this symbol still more 
fully with the Roman Church ? 

In the days of the Reformation, the Pope wore the word 
MYSTERY on his mitre ; and some of the Reformers called 
his attention to this rider upon the scarlet beast with the 
word "MYSTERY" upon her forehead, and he, feeling the 
rebuke, removed it from Ids forehead; but he wore it long 
enough to identify himself with the symbol. 

But there is something of still greater interest to be 
considered concerning this name, which stands out in 
such bold relief upon her forehead. It is not only 
"MYSTERY," but " BABYLON THE GREAT, THE 
MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS 
OF THE EARTH." Why is Babylon thus introduced? 
Simply because that which is represented by this woman 
bears a likeness to Ancient Babylon, in its arrangements ; 
and because, on account of that likeness, it is represented 
as « MYSTERY BABYLON," or MYSTIC BABYLON. 

But has the Roman Catholic Church ever patterned after 
Ancient Babylon in its arrangements ? 

We answer, Yes ; and in examining into this subject, we 
shall appreciate more fully some things which we stated in 
our first lecture. 

In that lecture, upon the Babylonian Empire, we con- 
sidered the history of Semiramis, the first queen who ever 
ruled in a government ; and after noticing her ability to 
reign in the civil department, we gave attention to her 
work in the ecclesiastical department, and saw how won- 
derfully she controlled the religion of her government, 
how she instituted what has been known as the Chaldean 
mysteries, by which she caused all her subjects to look 
to her as their leader in religious matters, as well as in 
the civil interests of the government. We saw that she 
adopted for herself the title Queen of Heaven, claiming 
to be divine, and required all who were brought under her 
power to renounce their nationality and devote themselves 
to her under that title, and thereby they became members 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE — PROPHETICAL. 



441 



Mystical 
brother- 
hood. 
Pontiff. 
Orders of 
the priest- 
hood. 

Likeness to 
Babylon. 



Origin of 

the Confes- 
sional. 



Corrupt 
institution. 



Sprinkling 
with holy 
water. 



Given a 
cake called 
"Mola." 



Feast days 
In honor of 
her birth. 

March 
25th. 

Lady-Day. 



Her son's 
birth. 



Dec. 25th. 



of a mystical brotherhood, or priesthood, with a Pontiff, or 
high priest, in authority over them. 

Different orders were in that priesthood, the highest 
order being required to take the vow of celibacy ; the 
lower orders being allowed to marry. • 

In this the Roman Catholic Church sustains a likeness to 
that ancient Babylonian system, as this Church is also 
shrouded in mysteries, and as her priests are not allowed 
to marry. 

When the members of that church were being initiated 
into those mysteries, after they had renounced all other 
nationality and pledged themselves to devote their lives to 
the Queen of Heaven, they were placed under instruc- 
tors to whom they were required to confess every thought. 
Thus a confessional was instituted, which was the origin of 
the confessional so prominent in the Roman Catholic Church ; 
and there is not a more corrupt institution to be found in 
the world than the Catholic confessional, when the priest, in 
his vileness, often suggests in his questions to the young and 
innocent those things which frequently cause their ruin. 

After the subjects of Semiramis had confessed every 
thought, they were sprinkled with holy water. So the 
Roman Catholic Church sprinkles with "holy water" and 
in that has patterned after ancient Babylon. After the 
candidates had been sprinkled with the holy water they 
were given a cake whrch was called " mola" and that very 
name is now applied in Rome to the wafer used in the 
Catholic communion. 

The Queen of Heaven, Semiramis, also required her 
subjects to observe certain feasts, which were held on spe- 
cial days. One was in honor of her birth, and was ob- 
served on a day corresponding with our 25th of March ; 
and it is the famous Lady-Day, which is so particularly 
honored by the Catholic Church, and some others. An- 
other was observed in honor of her son Ninyas' birth ; that 
son whom she claimed was Divine, like herself; and that, 
was on a day which corresponds with our 25th of Decem- 
ber ; and this is the highest authority the Pope had for 



442 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



The Pope'; 
authority 
for Christ': 
birthday. 



No evi- 
dence that 
Christ was 
horn Dec. 
25th. 



Patterned 

after 
Babylon. 

Baby- 
lonians 
worship- 
ed mother 
and son. 
Roman 
Catholics 
worship 
mother 
and son. 



Mary not 
to be wor- 
shipped. 



"Woman 
drunken.' 



fixing upon the 25th of December as the birth-day of our 
Lord Jesus Christ. Other days had been observed as the 
anniversary of the birth of Christ, — one in the month of 
April ; one in the month of May ; also, one in the month 
of January. But finally the Pope decided that the 25th of 
December should be established as the day on which he 
was born ; and a mass was ordered to be celebrated in 
honor of it, which was called the Christ-mass ; and that 
day has come to be called Christmas on account of this 
fact, and nearly the whole Christian world has been 
affected by it, and Christmas is almost universally observed 
at the present time, while there is no evidence, whatever, 
to prove that Jesus Christ was born on the 25th of Decem- 
ber. The shepJierds were engaged in watching their flocks 
upon the plains of Bethlehem when he was born, and they I 
were never found out with their flocks as late in the season j 
as the 25th of December. Aug. 18th is the more probable ' 
time of his birth. 

In the appointment of Dec. 25th, the Pope has patterned 
after Ancient " Babylon the Great." 

The Babylonians worshipped the Mother and Son, Semi- 
ramis and Ninyas ; so the Roman Catholics worship the 
Mother and Son, — the Virgin Mary and Jesus ; and the 
Virgin Mary is held in as much reverence as Jesus him- 
self. God never intended that His people should worship 
Mary, although He did intend that they should worship 
her Divine Son. She is no more to us, as far as our salva- 
tion is concerned, than any other pure woman. We can 
only be saved through fa itli in Jesus Christ ; but all these 
corrupt practices have come to be observed in the Roman 
Catholic Church, as she has patterned .after the original 
BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HAR- 
LOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH, and 
has identified herself fully with this woman on the scarlet- 
colored beast. 

John says, he saw this symbolic " woman drunken with 
the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs 
of Jesus." 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



443 



Is the 
Catholic 
Church 
thus 

properly 
repre- 
sented ? 

How it 
looks. 

Drank the 
blood of 
about 
70,000,000. 

The 

Roman 
Catholic 
Church 
full of 
abomi- 
nations. 



Course of 
Protes- 
tants. 



But, has the Roman Catholic Church ever done anything 
whereby she could properly be represented by a " woman 
drunken with the blood of saints and with the blood of the 
martyrs of Jesus V" It looks very much like it, when 
we remember that she drank the blood of about seventy 
millions, during that terrible Papal persecution of nearly 
twelve hundred and sixty years. 

We are also informed that the cup which this woman 
held in her hand was "full of abominations and the fi.lth.i- 
ness of her fornication ; " and this Roman Catholic Church 
is, literally, "full of abominations, and the filthiness of her 
fornication." According to the statement of those who have 
broken away from her power, every corrupt and diabolical 
practice is indulged in, behind the dark curtain which 
shuts out the world from beholding the degradation and 
vice with which she is filled ; and yet, because the power 
to persecute has been taken away from this corrupt church, 
there are many who are disposed to compromise with her 
and to fellowship her corrupt teachers ! Protestants 
to-day do much towards the support of the Roman Catho- 
lic Church, in her different institutions. Their daughters 
are sent to the Catholic schools, and the Catholic bazaars 
and other arrangements gotten up for the support of this 
Harlot Church, are largely patronized by Protestants, who 
are paying their money into the hands of those who lack 
nothing but the power to destroy them, as they have de- 
stroyed those in the past who refused to embrace the dog- 
mas of the Pope. 

Many are even going farther than this ; and prominent 
officials, and men of note, who were reared and educated 
Protestants, are joining her communion ; and thus, not only 
wholly giving themselves, soul and body, to her, but are 
making her popular in Christendom. But according to the 
manner in which God has represented this corrupt church, 
a true Christian is forever debarred from beino; associated 
with it in any manner, for none can do so without becom- 
ing contaminated by it. 

No further argument is, therefore, required to prove that 



444 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



No further 

argument 

required. 



the Romish Church is significantly and positively repre- 
sented by the woman-rider upon the scarlet-colored 
beast. 



The beast 
and the 
woman. 



The beast 
represents 
the Roman 
Govern- 
ment. 



Church 
and State 
united. 



The seven 
heads. 



Seven 
kings. 



Having considered the seven heads of this scarlet-colored 
beast as representative of seven mountains, and the woman 
as a representative of the church, we now purpose to con- 
sider the beast and the woman in the relation they sustain 
to each other, and then to notice the seven heads as repre- 
sentative of seven kings. 

The beast supports and carries the woman, while the 
woman directs and controls the beast ; and as we have 
seen that the woman represents the Eoman Catholic 
Church, the beast must represent the power by which that 
Church is supported during the time she is drinking the 
blood of the saints, and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus, 
with which she finally becomes intoxicated. 

That supporting power, we know from history, was the 
civil government of Rome. The beast, therefore, repre- 
sents the Roman government ; and the fact that the woman 
is sitting on the beast, directing and controlling him, while 
he supports and carries her, indicates that the Church and 
government are united in their work, and that the direct- 
ing and controlling power is vested in the Church ; and as 
Ave have seen, the Church and State were thus united, 
and the head of the Church was also the head of the govern- 
ment, in Rome, from the time they were united, during the 
reign of Justinian, in the sixth century, to 1870 ; and, for 
nearly twelve hundred and sixty years of that time, persecu- 
tion prevailed against those who would not submit to the 
decrees of the Pope. Thus we see how clearly the scarlet 
beast and his rider represent the uniting of Church and State. 

Now we are told that the seven heads of the beast not 
only represent the seven mountains on which the woman — 
the Church in the city of Rome — sits, but they also repre- 
sent seven kings. The mountains they represent exist all 
at one time ; but the kings are described as existing one at 
a time, and in order, from first to last. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE —PROPHETICAL. 



445 



"What 
these king- 
heads 
represent. 



Heads of 
the Gov- 
ernment. 



Kings, or 
principal 
powers. 



Govern- 
ment 
exists 
under 
seven 
heads. 
John's 
standpoint 



The beast 
under the 
sixth head. 
Woman 
drunken. 

Were there 
seven 
heads to 
this gov- 
ernment ? 



Reference 
to history. 



Seven 
powers. 



Therefore, the next important point to understand is, 
what these king-heads represent. 

As we have noticed, when a beast is used to represent a 
government, the head of the beast represents the head, or 
principal power, of the government ; and this is always to 
be understood, unless the head, or heads, are explained to 
represent something else, as in this symbol, with reference 
to the seven mountains. This being unnatural, we have 
the heads again in a position to properly represent the 
heads of the government under which the beast-govern- 
ment exists, while supporting the Papal Church. 

As these seven heads represent seven kings, or principal 
powers in this government, and as they exist in order from 
first to last, we readily see that this Roman government is 
represented as existing under seven different heads, while 
it supports the Papacy and submits to the dictation of the 
Pope ; and John was carried forward in this vision to a 
point of time where he could look backward and forward 
with reference to the history of that beast and his rider ; 
and as he looked, the angel said, with reference to the 
kings, or powers, represented by the heads: "Five are 
fallen, one is, and the other is not yet come." At that 
time the beast existed under the sixth head, as "Jive" had 
"fallen," and the seventh one had "not" then "come," 
and the woman was "drunken ;" — not getting drunk, but 
actually " drunken,"* having drank to her fill. 

JSTow we raise the question : Were there seven heads to 
this government, which existed in order, during the time 
that Church and State were united? 

If so, what were they? 

In tracing the history of that period, we have seen that, 
— while the Papacy was being supported by the govern- 
ment and the Pope was dictating in Church and State, — 
there were seven prominent powers, or dynasties, which 
occupied their position, each in order, as the head of the 
Roman government, and that each in that position sub- 
mitted to the dictation of the Pope, and supported the 
Papacy. 



446 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



The first. 

Eastern 
Empire. 



Arrange- 
ment made 
by Justin- 
ian. 



Completed 
Roman 
Church 
and 

Roman 
Govern- 
ment. 

Their 
relation. 



The first one which occupied this position was the 
Eastern Empire, or dynasty, which assisted in uniting 
Church and State ; and then, as the principal power upon 
the Old Roman territory, standing as the head of the gov- 
ernment, it used its strength to support the Church, and, 
under the direction of the Pope, persecuted those who 
Avould not submit to the general, or Catholic religion. 

This arrangement was made by Justinian, who reigned 
in the Eastern Empire from A.D. 527 to A.D. 565, when 
he succeeded in possessing himself of the principal part of 
the Western Empire, by conquering the Vandals in Africa, 
the Ostrogoths in Italy, and the Allemani in the provinces 
north of Italy, and consented to yield to the dictation of 
the Pope, to support the Papal Hierarchy, and to assist in 
the establishment of the Catholic religion by persecuting 
those who refused to accept the decrees and dogmas of the 
Pope. 

When this arrangement was completed, the Roman Cath- 
olic Church and the Roman government were brought into 
that relationship to each other which is represented by 
the woman sitting on the scarlet-colored beast, when the 
woman had just commenced to drink the blood of the 
saints, and of the martyrs of Jesus, with which she finally 
became intoxicated. 



Eastern 
Empire. 

Supports 
the Papacy 
From A.D. 
536 to A.D. 
754. 

About 218 
years. 

The 
woman 
begins to 
to drink. 
35 Popes. 
A.D. 754. 
Eastern 
Empire 
refuses to 
support the 
Papacy. 



The Eastern Empire continued to occupy its position as 
the principal power upon the territory of the Roman Em- 
pire, and as the supporter of the Papacy, from A.D. 536, 
to about A.D. 754 ; and during that period of nearly two 
hundred and eighteen years, its emperors persecuted those 
who refused to submit to the decrees and dogmas of the 
Pope, and thus the Papal persecution was established, and 
carried forward, and the woman began to drink the "blood 
of the saints." 

During that time, thirty-Jive Popes succeeded to the head 
of Church and State. 

About A.D. 754, the Eastern Empire refused to support 
the Papacy longer. The Emperors took advantage of the 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



447 



The first 
head falls. 



Pope and refused to recognize his position, and made it 
necessary for him to seek for protection and support from 
some other power. He finally succeeded in finding that 
support, after the Eastern Empire ceased to be the princi- 
pal power, or head of the government, and the first head 
fell. 



Pope 

Stephen II. 

seeks 

another 

supporter. 

Pepin, 

king of 

France. 

His 

position. 

Hereditary 
crown. 
Craftiness 
of the Pope 
His propo- 
sition to 
Pepin. 



Pepin 
agrees to it 
Ceremony 
in St. 
Dennis. 
Royal 
unction 
received. 



The Pope's 
blessing. 



Royal 
dignity to 
be main- 
tained in 
the Pepin 
family. 
Pepin 
com- 
mences to 
support the 
Pope. 



In A.D. 754, Pope Stephen II. began the work of seek- 
ing for a supporter, by applying to Pepin, King of France, 
who had been elected to that position against the legal 
claim of another, and who desired to have the hereditary 
crown transferred to his family. The Pope cunningly and 
craftily represented to Pepin, that he had vested in him- 
self by Divine Authority, the right to transfer the 
hereditary crown to whomsoever he should choose to 
transfer it ; and that, if that aspiring king would agree to 
support the Papal Church at Rome, he would transfer the 
coveted crown to Ms family. 

Pepin agreed to the proposition, and the ceremony of 
transferring the crown was performed in the Church of St. 
Dennis, when Pepin, his Queen, and his two sons, Char- 
lemagne and Carloman, received the royal unction ; and 
the title of Roman Patricians was bestowed upon Pepin 
and his two sons. 

When the ceremony was over, the Pope pronounced 
upon the French nobility who had assisted in it a solemn 
blessing, which bound them and their posterity, by virtue 
of the authority of St. Peter, which was vested in him, to 
maintain the royal dignity in the family of Pepin, and to 
raise no other to the throne while any member of that 
family remained. 

This having been accomplished, Pepin commenced his 
work of supporting the Pope, who had thus conferred so 
great a favor upon him, and readily submitted to do the 
will of that Pontiff at the head of the Church, and thereby 
allowed the Pope still to stand at the head of Church and 
State. 

On the death of Pepin, Charlemagne succeeded to the 



448 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Charle- 
magne 
succeeds to 
the throne. 
In A.D. 
800, he is 
crowned 
Emperor 
of the 
Romans, 
by Leo III. 
Shouts of 
the people. 



New 
dynasty. 
Head of 
the govern- 
ment. 
Repre- 
sented by 
the second 
head. 
Over 200 
years the 
Papacy 
supported. 
Successors 
of Pepin 
crowned 
by the 
Pope. 
Persecu- 
tion grows 
more 
terrible. 
47 Popes. 
That 

power fails 
Second 
head falls. 
A.D. 1012, 
Benedict 
VIII. 
driven 
from his 
position. 
Seeks 
protection 
of Henry 
II. of 
Germany. 
Henry II. 
agrees to 
reinstate 
the Pope. 
Benedict 
VIII. 
crowns 
Henrv II. 
Feb. 14th, 
1014. 

Another 
dynasty. 



throne of France, as king. Then the Romans, generally, 
decided that it was best to make this King of France Em- 
peror of the Romans, and on Christmas-day, A.D. 800, 
Charlemagne, King of France, was crowned Emperor 
of the Romans, in the Church of St. Peter, by Pope 
Leo III. ; and, as that Pontiff placed the crown upon his 
head, the people shouted: "To Charles Augustus, 

CROWNED BY THE HAND OF GOD, GREAT AND PACIFIC Em- 

peror, — Life and victory ! " 

Thus a new dynasty was established, and a new power 
came up to fill the place as the "head" of the government, 
and to support the Papacy, as represented by the second 
head of the beast. 

From this time onward for over two hundred years, the 
Papacy was supported by this power, and the descendants 
and successors of Pepin and Charlemagne consented to be 
crowned by the Pope, and to carry on the bloody work of 
persecution, which was gradually growing more terrible. 

During that period, forty-seven Popes succeeded to the 
head of Church and State. 

But finally, that second supporting power failed, and 
ceased to support the Papacy, and thus the second head 
fell. 

In A.D. 1012, Pope Benedict VIII. , having been driven 
from his position by one Gregory, sought the protection of 
Henry II., King of Germany, and found in him another 
friend and supporter of the Papacy. Henry agreed to 
reinstate the Pope, with the understanding that the Pope 
should crown him Emperor of the Romans, and make him 
the principal ruler under the jurisdiction of that Pontiff. 

This agreement having been made, Pope Benedict 
VIII. crowned Henry II., the King of Germany, Emperor 
of the Romans, on the 14th of Feb., A.D. 1014, that Ger- 
man king having pledged himself to be the protector and 
defender of the Church, and to be faithful to that Pope 
and his successors, rendering them due obedience. 

Thus another dynasty, the German, took its place, as 



THE It OJfAN EMPIRE — PR OPHE TICAL. 



449 



The 
woman 
still drinks 
blood. 

Arrange- 
ment 
continues 
over 200 
years. 

Tyranny of 
the Pope. 

Henry IV. 
in 1073. 



And Pope 

Gregory 

VII. 



After 
about 250 
years, 
Germany 
ceases to 
support 
the Papacy 
Third head 
falls. 

The 

woman 

still thirsts 

for blood. 

Pope 

Clement 

IV. 

Estab- 
lishes the 
Neapolitan 
dynasty. 



the principal power upon the territory of the Roman Em- 
pire, and the head of the government, under the dictation 
of the Pope ; and the woman was still permitted to drink 
of " the blood of the saints, and of the blood of the martyrs 
of Jesus." 

This arrangement continued for over two hundred years, 
during which time the rulers of Germany, each in his or- 
der, submitted to be crowned by the Pope, although those 
crowned heads often realized the tyranny of him who stood 
above them at the head of Church and State, as we have 
noticed in the case of Henry IV., in 1073, when that 
ruler, having been crowned by the Pope, as his prede- 
cessors had been, resolved to contend for authority above 
the head of the Church, Pope Gregory VII., and to estab- 
ish his own right to the supremacy ; and being opposed by 
the Pope, he deposed the Pontiff, and declared that he 
was no longer worthy to bear the title of Pope. 

Gregory immediately excommunicated Henry IV. , and 
liberated all German subjects from the oath of allegiance, 
declaring that if they supported the Emperor in any man- 
ner whatever, they should be doomed to eternal damnation; 
thus reducing Henry to a state of despair, and forcing him 
to beg for reinstatement. And, in the dead of winter, 
Henry was compelled to cross the Alps, and proceed to 
Italy for that purpose. Then Gregory compelled the sup- 
pliant to remain out of doors for three days and three 
nights, bareheaded and barefooted, before he would con- 
sent to admit him into his august presence, to reinstate 
him. 

After about two hundred and fifty years Germany 
ceased to support the papacy, and the third head fell. 

But the woman still thirsted for blood, and the Pope, 
Clement IV., being anxious to continue the supremacy of 
the Church, and to destroy all who should violate its de- 
crees, sought another protector, w r hich he soon found. 

He established the Neapolitan Dynasty, in A.D. 
1265, and crowned Charles of Anjou as king of Na- 



450 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Charles of 

Anjou 

crowned 

A.D. 1265. 

Papacy 

supported 

about 275 

years. 

That 

power then 

fails. 

Fourth 

head falls. 

A.D. 1544. 

Arrange- 
ment 
completed 
with Spain 
Another 
supporter. 

Nearly 150 
years." 

Jesuitism 
established 
in 1540. 



Spain 
ceases to 
support the 
Papacy. 
Fifth head 
falls. 
Five fallen 



John's 
standpoint 



Statement 
of the 
Angel. 

The point 
to which 
John was 
carried in 
vision. 



Did a sixth 
Power 
follow ? 



pies, and made this dynasty the principal supporter of the 
church. 

By this principal power and head of the government, 
the Papacy was supported for about two hundred and 
seventy-five years, when that power ceased to support the 
Papacy, and the fourth KEnnfell. 

About A.D. 1544, the Neapolitan dynasty having thus 
failed to support the Roman Church, an arrangement was 
completed with Spain, whereby the Pope found another 
supporter, and, at the head of Church and State, he was 
allowed to continue the work of persecution for nearly 
one hunded and fifty years longer, and during that time 
the most cruel form of this persecution prevailed, under 
the head of Jesuitism, which was established in A.D. 1540, 
the terrible Spanish Inquisition being constituted the prin- 
cipal agent for carrying on the bloody work. 

After a time Spain became weakened and finally ceased 
to be the principal power and supporter of the Papacy, 
and the fifth head fell. 

Thus five of the powers represented by the seven heads 
of the beast filled their places, went down, and became — 
" fallen." 

John was carried foward in his vision to the point, as 
we have seen, where he could look backward and forward 
in the history of this beast-government, and as he occupied 
this position he was told, concerning these heads, repre- 
sentative of kings, or powers, " five are fallen." He was 
therefore carried beyond the time, in his vision, when Spain 
ceased to fill its place, as the fifth head of the government 
and supporter of the Papal Church, to the time when the 
sixth head, or power, was occupying that position ; for the 
angel not only said "five are fallen," but he said " one is;" 
that is, the sixth " one is." 

Was there a sixth power which followed Spain in that 
position? 

We have seen that when Spain, as the fifth power, 
failed to do its work of supporting the Papacy, an agree- 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



451 



Agreement 

with 

Austria. 



The beast 
when John 
saw him. " 

The 
woman 

drunken. 

The time of 
her drink- 
ing. 

Drinks to 
her fill. 

Intoxi- 
cated while 
the sixth 
head exists 

Papal 

persecu- 
tion 
continues. 

Thirsting 
still for 
blood. 

Forbidden 
to drink 
more. 

Jesuitism 
abolished 
A.D. 1773. 

Austria 
continues 
to support 
the Papacy 

Pope no 
power to 
persecute. 
The time 
when the 
woman is 
actually 
drunken. 



Wonderful 
application 
of the 
symbol. 

Further 
description 



ment was made with Austria, whereby that poiver, the 
principal one then in existence upon the Roman territory, 
submitted to the Pope as his supporter, and its rulers were 
crowned by him, which arrangement continued over a hun- 
dred years, until the French Revolution broke out, and 
Austria became too weak to support the Papacy any 
longer. 

When John saw the beast as it existed under its sixth 
head, he said he " saw the woman drunken." She had 
been drinking during the time that the "five" "fallen" 
king-heads, or powers, had existed ; and, at last, she had 
become drunken. This implies that she had, at last, drank 
to her fill, and no more blood was to be given her; and 
that she reached this thoroughly intoxicated condition 
during the time of the existence of the sixth head-sup- 
porter. 

The Papal Persecution continued for some time after Aus- 
tria commenced to support the Roman Catholic Church ; 
and that church, thirsting for blood, was thus permitted to 
drink, until at last, Austria, concluding that she had drank 
enough, forbade her to drink any more. This w T as done 
when Austria abolished Jesuitism, in A.D. 1773 ; and 
that persecution, which had continued for so long a time, 
nearly twelve, hundred and sixty years, ended. 

Austria did not at that time cease to support the Papacy, 
but continued that -support, giving temporal power to the 
Pope, yet without the power to persecute those who re- 
fused to submit to his decrees. 

If ever the woman could be drunken, it was when she 
had drank until she was not allowed to drink more ; and at 
the time, when Austria, the sixth supporter, abolished 
Jesuitism, the Roman Church had drank the blood of mil- 
lions, and was therefore " drunken with the blood of the 
saints, and the blood of the martyrs of Jesus." 

We therefore realize how wonderfully this beast-and-his- 
rider-symbol apply to the facts of history thus far. 

But the angel says, further, — in describing the heads of 
the beast, from the standpoint from which John viewed 



452 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



The other 
not yet 
come. 

The 

seventh. 
To come 
after the 
sixth falls. 

Question. 

Sixth head 
falls. 



The Pope 
without a 
supporter 
for a time. 



The 

French 

people. 

Address to 

Napoleon 

Bonaparte. 

May 3rd, 
1804. 

18th of 
May, 
Empire 
erected- 



Arrange- 
ments for 
the coro- 
nation. 

Napoleon 
crowned 
Dec. 2nd, 
byPiusVII 

Napoleon 
agrees to 
support the 
Papacy. 

The 
seventh 
one came. 

John's 

instruction 

concerning 

the seventh 

one. 

Short 

space. 

Significant 



the beast in the vision, — " The other is not yet come." 
In other words, the seventh head-king is yet to come, after 
the sixth one should fall, like the others. 

Did the sixth one fall ? and was there another supporter 
which came after the sixth fell, as here represented ? 

We have seen that the sixth did fall, when Austria be- 
came too weak to support the Papacy longer, as it, that 
sixth supporting-power, came in contact with the Revolu- 
tionists in the last part of the eighteenth century ; and for 
a time it seemed as though the Pope would never succeed 
in finding another supporter, especially during the dark- 
ness and gloom of French infidelity, which was established 
in connection with the French Republic. 

After a time, however, the French people decided to 
erect their government into an Empire, and sent that ad- 
dress to Napoleon Bonaparte, who had become so essential 
to the nation : — 

' ' We think it of the last importance to the French peo- 
ple, to confide the government of the Republic to Napoleon 
Bonaparte, Hereditary Emperor." This was done on the 
3d of May, 1804 ; and on the 18th of May, that same 
year, the Empire was erected at St. Cloud. 

Napoleon Bonaparte having been chosen as Emperor, 
arrangements were made for the coronation ; and matters 
were so shrewdly manoeuvred and managed that when 
Napoleon came to be crowned, which event occurred Dec. 
2d, 1804, the head of the Papal Church, Pope Pius VII., 
officiated in that coronation and crowned him Emperor of 
France, Napoleon having agreed to support the Pope, 
and to give him temporal power, again placing him at the 
head of Church and State. 

By this means the Papacy found another supporter, and 
so the seventh one came as represented. 

But John was instructed with reference to this seventh 
one, as he looked forward to his coming thus : " When he 
cometh, he must continue a short space." This language 
is significant ; for each of the others continued a long 
" space," as we have seen. The first one continued about 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



453 



1st, 218 yrs 
2nd, 200. 
3rd, 250. 
4th, 275. 
5th, 150. 
6th, 100 
(about). 

7th, 10 yrs. 

("short 

space"). 



Napoleon 
com- 
mences his 
work, 1804 



Terms vio- 
lated, 1809. 

Napoleon 
abdicates, 
1814. 

All 

arrange- 
ments" void 



Special 
features. 



11th verse. 
"Was, and 
is not." 



" Seven 
heads." 



" Seven 
moun- 
tains." 

" Seven 
kings." 

8th head. 



Not a new 
one. 

" One of 
the seven." 



two hundred and eighteen years ; the second one about 
two hundred years ; the third about two hundred and fifty 
years ; the fourth about two hundred and seventy-five 
years ; the fifth about one hundred and fifty years ; and 
the sixth one over a hundred years ; and now we are told 
that the seventh one, "when he cometh," "must con- 
tinue" only " a short space." Was this a correct repre- 
sentation of the continuation of this seventh power, which 
came to fill its place as the supporter of the Papacy ? 

We have just seen that Napoleon, at the head of the 
French Empire, took his position as the seventh supporter 
of the Pope, on Dec. 2d, 1804, writings of agreement hav- 
ing been signed. He continued to abide by the terms of 
agreement until 1809, when he violated some of them ; but 
still he continued to support the Church at Rome, until 
April 11th, 1814, when he was forced to abdicate the 
throne of France, and the whole arrangement between him 
and the Pope became null and void ; and he, therefore, 
continued in that position, represented by the seventh head, 
only the " short space" of ten years, as the prophetic sym- 
bol indicated. 

But there are still peculiar features in this symbol, 
which are more remarkable in their application, if possible, 
than those already noticed. 

In the eleventh verse, the angel says to John, " The 
beast that was and "is not, even he is the eighth, and is of 
the seven — is one "of the seven" — and goeth into perdition." 

What are we to understand by this language? The 
beast is described as having seven heads, and these seven 
heads, as we have seen, are declared first to represent 
' « seven mountains on which the woman sitteth ; " and then 
they are explained to represent seven kings, or prominent 
powers, as also noticed. But now an eighth head is 
described, representing an eighth king or power ; but we 
notice this peculiarity in the language used, that it is not 
a new head which is described as the eighth one, for it is 
of the seven, literally one of the seven, which have existed 
in their order, thus implying that one of the seven is to 



454 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Fills the 
place twice 

Only seven 

different 

heads. 



"Which one 
of the 
seven is 
the eighth ? 



The beast 
that was, 
and is not. 



The heast 
that John 
saw. 



fill its place the second time, constituting an eighth, when 
actually there are only seven different heads in all. 

The heads of the beast are thus represented in this 
symbol, and according to the representation, after seven 
powers have filled their places in order as supporters of 
the Papacy, one of these seven powers is to be restored to 
its position and fill its place the second time as a sup- 
porter, thereby constituting an eighth which is one of the 
seven. 

Now the question arises : Which one of the seven is to 
occupy this position the second time, and thus make an 
eighth supporter? 

The angel explained this to John, when he said : 
" The beast that was and is not, even he is the eighth.'" 
But what beast did he mean when he said ' ' The beast 
that was and is not? 

In the eighth verse he has explained this, saying : "The 
beast that thou sawest was and is not." 



"What 
beast did 
he sec ? 

The scarlet 
beast, 
under its 
sixth head. 



As much a 
beast 
under one 
head as 
another. 

Properly 
called 
"The 
beast." 



Now, if the beast which John saw "was, and is not," 
and the beast that was and is not is the eighth, and is of 
the seven, then the beast that he saiu "even he is the eighth 
and is of the seven." 

But what beast did John see ? 

He saw the scarlet colored beast as it existed under its 
sixth head ; for, as we have seen, the angel said to John, 
while he was beholding the beast, " five" (of the heads) 
" are fallen," " one," the sixth one, "is, " and the other," 
the seventh one, " is not yet come." 

The numbers here relate to the heads of the beast 
particularly, for there are not seven different beasts, but 
the beast exists under seven different heads which fill 
their places in order from first to last, and the beast is as 
much a beast under one head as under another ; so under 
whichever of these heads it is seen, it is properly called 
the beast ; therefore, in order to understand what beast the 
servant of God saw, we must know what head the beast 
existed under when he saw it, and having learned that the 



THE R OMAN EMPIRE — PR OPHE TICAL. 



455 



The beast 
he saw to 
be the 
eighth. 



Subject 
plain. 

John saw 
the beast 
under the 
sixth head. 

The one he 
saw to be 
the eighth. 
The sixth 
to cease. 
Seventh to 
come. 
Sixth 
comes up 
again. 



The 
symbol 
admits of 
no other 
application 

Austria 
the sixth. 

Ceases to 
support. 



Napoleon 
Bonaparte 
comes as 
the seventh 
His work. 



Conquered 
in 1815. 



beast then existed under its sixth head, we say reasonably, 
he saw the beast with its sixth head upon it. 

Now John was told that the beast which he saw, " ivas" 
to be the eighth, being (one) "of the seven." Is it pos- 
sible for us to comprehend the meaning of this peculiar 
language, and to identify the eighth head of the seven? 

If we allow the words to apply where they belong, and 
to mean what they express, the subject becomes very plain 
and is easily understood. 

John saw the beast as it existed under the sixth head, 
for he was told that Jive had fallen, that " one is, and that 
the other is not yet come," and then he was told that the 
beast which he saw, " even he," was "the eighth," and 
(one) "of the seven:" therefore, the sixth head was to 
cease to fill its place and the seventh was to come ; and 
then after the seventh should continue its " short space," 
the sixth was to come up, as though coming out of the 
abyss, — "bottomless pit" — and take its place again the 
second time, causing great astonishment to those who 
should not be in a position to understand the prophetic 
representation. This symbol will admit of no other 
application than this, and the facts of history demonstrate 
the correctness of it. 

In tracing the history, we have seen that Austria was 
the sixth power which supported the Papacy, and that that 
power ceased at one time to do the work of supporting the 
Pope, because it was broken down, in connection with the 
French Revolution, and the affairs which followed ; and 
then Napoleon Bonaparte, at the head of the French 
Empire, which was afterwards established, took his place 
as the seventh supporter of the Papacy, and continued in 
that position the " short space" of ten years; and then he, 
being compelled by the nations to abdicate the throne of 
France, ceased to support the Papal Church, and the seven 
heads had all fallen. 

Napoleon, in 1815, was conquered on the plains of Wat- 
erloo by the armies of the four allied powers, and finally 
sent to St. Helena, where he remained until his death. 



456 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Congress 
of Nations 
in 1815. 



Qnestion 

concerning 

Austria. 

Not a first 

class 

Power. 



Shall it be 
restored ? 



Decided. 



Austria 
re-con- 
structed. 
Italy re- 
organized. 
Ten 

divisions. 
Their 
names. 
Ten Italian 
States. 

Austria 
restored. 



The Pope 
reinstated. 



Soon after his defeat, the congress of nations met at 
Vienna in that same year, 1815, for the purpose of reor- 
ganizing Europe. 

While the matter of reorganization was being consid- 
ered, a grave question was raised with reference to Aus- 
tria. That government, though one of the four that were 
finally combined against Napoleon, was not then a first- 
class power, and had not been since it became weakened 
and demoralized by coming in contact with the French 
revolutionists, who operated in their glory so successfully 
against it. 

Now, as the affairs of Europe were to be adjusted, the 
question was raised, Shall Austria be restored to a first- 
class power? After much discussion it was decided to 
reorganize Austria, and restore it to a first-class power, 
and, also, to reorganize Italy, in its ten divisions, and 
place it again under the control of Austria, which position 
it occupied before the revolutionists succeeded in breaking 
down the Austrian government. 

Accordingly, Austria was reconstructed, Italy was reor- 
ganized, and ten divisions again appeared in that country, 
which are known by the following names : Sardinia, Lom- 
bard y, Parma, Modena, Tuscany, San Morino, States of 
the Church, Lucca, Naples including Sicily, and Monaco. 

These are known as the Ten Italian States, which 
were all placed, with their rulers, under the control of 
Austria ; and thus Austria was restored to her former po- 
sition and glory. 

When this was accomplished, Pope Pius VII., who had 
lost his temporal power when Napoleon abdicated the 
throne of France, in 1814, was reinstated, as the ruler of 
that division of Italy known as the States of the Church, 
of which Rome was the capital, and a concordat was ar- 
ranged and signed by the Emperor of Austria, in which he 
agreed to support the Pope in his position and to keep him 
still at the head of Church and State ; and thus Austria 
came up from its degraded and broken-down condition to 
stand as a first-class power, and then took its place the 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



457 



Austria 
takes the 
place the 
second 
time. 

Consti- 
tutes the 
eighth 
supporter. 

Austria 
continues 
in that 
position 

To 1870. 

Efforts of 
Napoleon 
III. to 
supersede 
after 1848. 
His wishes 



His forces 
enter 
Rome. 
His claim. 

No writ- 
ings of 
agreement. 

Never 
crowned 
by the 
Pope. 



Pius agrees 
to crown 
him. 
The 

Cardinals 
prevent it. 
Their 
reason. 



Austria 
the 

recognized 
supporter. 

Concordat 

made 

stronger. 

Continues 
to 1870, 
when it is 
broken. 

Way open 
to Napo- 
leon. 



second time as the supporter of the Papacy, and constituted 
the eighth supporter, as represented in the symbol, by the 
eighth head, which is designated as "one of the seven," 
and which we have seen was, and must be, the sixth (one) 
of the seven, as the sixth was the only one which John 
saw, and the one which he saw was to be the eighth. 

Austria continued in this position, as the recognized 
supporter of the Papacy until 1870, notwithstanding a 
strong effort was made by Napoleon III. , at the head of 
France, to supersede Austria, after that Revolution in 
Rome in 1848, which caused Pope Pius IX. to flee to Ga- 
etta. This ambitious relative of Napoleon Bonaparte 
wished to take possession of Eome, and to become the ac- 
knowledged supporter of the Papacy, and manoeuvred in 
that direction, until his forces succeeded in entering Rome, 
in 1850, and he claimed to reinstate the Pope, who re- 
turned from Gaetta April 20th, in that year ; but there 
were never any writings of agreement made whereby Na- 
poleon III. was recognized as the actual supporter of the 
Papacy. He never was crowned by the Pope ; though, as 
we have noticed, he tried to arrange with the Pope to be 
crowned Emperor of France by that Pontiff, as his uncle 
had been crowned before him ; but he failed, notwithstand- 
ing Pius IX. agreed to thus crown him, and the day was 
appointed for the ceremony. For the Cardinals met, and 
decided that they were more safe under Austrian protec- 
tion than they would be under the French ; thus showing 
that Austria was then the recognized supporter ; and, dur- 
ing all the time of Napoleon's pretended interest in the 
support of the Papacy, Austria was, really, recognized by 
the Pope and his Cardinals as their principal supporter. 
After a time, because of circumstances, the Concordat 
between Pius IX. and Austria was made stronger than 
ever before ; and that government continued its support 
until 1870, when the Concordat was broken, and Austria 
refused longer to stand as the supporting power of the 
Papal Church. 

Then, for the first time, the way was fully opened for Na- 



458 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



His atten- 
tion 

occupied 
elsewhere. 



His 

success 
would 
destroy the 
prophetic 
symbol. 

Nine 

supporters 

instead of 

eight. 

Napoleon 

fails. 

Prophetic 
symbol left 
to apply to 
facts. 



poleon to step in and fill the coveted position ; but his 
attention was occupied in another direction ; and he finally 
died without being recognized as the supporter of the 
Papacy. 

If he had succeeded in supplanting Austria*, at any time 
in that position, or had been situated to have taken the 
place, when, finally, Austria refused to fill it longer, he 
would have destroyed the force of this prophetic symbol ; 
for then there would have been nine supporter's instead of 
eight, as indicated by the symbol ; but Napoleon III. 
failed in his efforts to become the acknowledged depend- 
ence of the Papal Church, and left this prophetic symbol 
to apply, with all its force and power, to the facts of his- 
tory ; and it has been confirmed by these facts, as the cor- 
rect and reliable representation, which has been given by 
the inspiration of God. 



The ten 
horns. 



The angel's 
statement 
in verse 12 



How is it 
to be un- 
derstood ? 
Meaning of 
the ten 
horns as 
kings 
compre- 
hended. 

"No king- 
dom as 
yet," more 
difficult. 
What is 
implied. 



What 
might be 
said. 



' ' The ten horns " now demand our attention ; for this 
scarlet beast not only had " seven heads," but he had also 
" ten horns," which are af significant as the heads, and are 
as fully explained by the angel. 

This angelic informer, in explaining the significance of 
these horns to John, says, first: " The ten horns which 
thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom 
as yet." Now what are we to understand by this language ? 
We readily comprehend his meaning when he says that 
"the ten horns are ten kimzs," because the horns beino; 
symbolic, are thus explained to represent kings; but when 
he says, further, that these kings " have received no king- 
dom as yet," more careful attention is necessary, in order 
to understand his statement. 

" No kingdom as yet ! " This implies that up to a cer- 
tain point of time these kings have received no kingdom ; 
and now we must learn, if possible, what time is referred 
to here, or we cannot appreciate this language, nor under- 
stand the symbol. 

Some might say, at a glance, that the time referred to 
by the angel was A.D. 95, when John was on the Isle of 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



459 



Cannot be 
.correct. 

John 

carried 

forward 

To the 
beast with 
the sixth 
head. 



To the time 
of Aus- 
tria's 

support as 
the sixth 
power. 
Sees the 
beast from 
this stand, 
point. 



Time 

referred to 
by the 
angel. 



When 
John saw 
the horns. 



The ten 
kings to be 
found in 
connection 
with 
Austria. 

Have they 
been 
found ? 

Facts of 
history. 



Patmos, and when this Revelation was signified to him by 
the angel. But that cannot be ; for, as we have seen, John 
was carried forward in his vision concerning this scarlet 
beast and his rider, to where he beheld the beast as it ex- 
isted under its sixth' head, jive having fallen, and where 
the woman was drunken ; and, as we have applied the 
symbol to the facts of history, allowing the heads to rep- 
resent kings, or powers, as explained by the angel, we 
have seen that John was carried forward in this vision to 
the time when Austria, as the sixth power, was engaged in 
supporting the Papacy, which was represented by the 
drunken woman sitting upon the beast, and from that 
stand-point he saw this beast-and-his-rider-symbol, by 
which the remarkably peculiar events in the history of the 
government, and in the Church, as associated with the 
government, are represented. Then, the time when Aus- 
tria occupied its position as the sixth power supporting the 
Papal Church, must have been the time referred to b}^ the 
angel, when he says of these ten kings, that they " have 
received no kingdom as yet." But according to the words 
of the angel, John saw the ten horns in connection with 
the beast as it existed under its sixth head, for he only 
saw the beast under that head; "jive had fallen and the 
other " had ' ' not yet come ; " but he saw the ten horns, 
for the angel said to him : " The ten horns which thou 
sawest are ten kings ; " so they must have existed in con- 
nection with the sixth head ; and if these ten horns existed 
upon the sixth head, and they represent ten kings, then, 
as we have found that Austria was properly represented 
by the sixth head, we must reasonably expect to find in the 
government, while Austria occupies its position at the 
head of that government, as the supporter of the Pope, 
ten kings which have received no kingdom up to that time, 
and who even then do not possess royal authority. 

Have we noticed anything in connection with the history 
of Austria, as the sixth supporter of the Papacy, which is 
properly represented by these ten horns, or kings f We 
have seen that Austria, as the supporter of the Papacy, 



460 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Austria 
controls 
Italy. 

Ten States. 

No special 
power. 



Must be 
signified 
by the 
horns. 
They are 
to receive 
power as 
kings. 
One mind. 
Give power 
and 

strength 
unto the 
beast. 
Power 
with the 
beast not 
alone. 
What 
beast ? 

The beast 
which 
John saw. 



Are these 
ten kings 
to receive 
power 
while 
Austria 
fills her 
place as the 
sixth 
supporter ? 

It must be 
in con- 
nection 
with 
Austria. 

What we 

have 

noticed. 

The beast 
that was, is 
not, and 
yet is. 



had the control of Italy, and that the territory of Italy was 
divided into ten states, which were known as the Italian 
States ; and yet, while these ten divisions, or states, of 
Italy existed, they had no special position, or "power, as 
kings," or kingdoms, at that time. 

It is evident that these ten Italian States must have been 
signified by the ten horns, or kings, in the symbol, which 
had received no kingdom up to that time. 

The angel says, further, with reference to these ten kings, 
that they are to ' ' receive power as kings one hour with 
the beast;" and that "These have one mind, and shall 
give their power and strength unto the beast." 

Here it is positively stated that these ten kings, which 
"have received no kingdom as yet," are to "receive power 
as kings one hour with the beast ; " not alone, as indepen- 
dent kings, but with the beast. But with what beast? is an 
important question. It must be the beast which John saw, 
and which was the beast under the sixth head, as we have 
noticed, which represents Austria, as the sixth supporting- 
power of the Papacy. 

Are we to understand, then, that these ten kings are to 
receive power as kings, while Austria is thus filling its 
place as represented by the sixth head ? It must certainly 
be in connection with Austria, as the supporter of the Pa- 
pacy, that these ten kings, or Italian States, are to receive 
power, as kings. 

But in explaining this symbolism we have noticed that 
the beast which John saw existed as he saw it under the 
sixth head, and then it ceased to exist, and then came up 
to exist again; so he is described as " the beast that was, 
and is not, and yet is ; " and then we have noticed that it 
existed and then ceased to exist, and then came up to exist 
again, and constituted the eighth, which is (one) of the 
seven ; and that this particular one, which existed and then 
ceased to exist, and then existed again to make the eighth, 
is the one which John saw ; so that we have understood 
clearly, that the beast which John saw under its sixth 
head, ceased to exist under that head, when the seventh one 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



461 



These 
things 
explained. 



Horns on 
the beast 
as he "was, 
and is." 



They have 
no power. 



To receive 
power 
when the 
beast 
comes up 
2d time. 



Austria, 
6th head. 



Ceases to 
exist. 

7th head 
supporter. 
Austria 
again, 2d 
time. 

8th of 7, 
and beast 
alive again 
When do 
these 10 
kings 
" receive 
power ?" 



Council of 
nations in 
1815. 



10 kings. 



came to fill its place ; and then, after the seventh had 
fallen, the beast existed again under the sixth head, which 
really must be called the eighth, because it comes to fill 
its place a second time. The angel explained all these 
peculiarities before he introduced the horns which John 
saw upon this beast, which " was, and is not, and yet is." 

These horns exist upon that beast, as he was and as 
he is. 

When the horns were seen by John on that beast as he 
existed, they represented kings, which had no kingdom up 
to that time ; and then he is informed that these ten kings 
are to receive power as kings one hour with the beast, — 
the beast which John saw, not as he then existed, — but as 
when, having ceased to exist, he should come up to exist 
again under this same sixth head, but which is properly 
called the eighth, because it fills the place of the eighth, as 
well as of the sixth. 

It is when the beast comes up the second time under 
this head that thepoivei* of the ten horns is received. 

Now — having found that Austria existed as the sixth 
power and supporter of the Papacy, and then that it 
ceased to exist as a first-class power and went down, while 
another, the French Empire, headed by Napoleon Bona- 
parte, came in as the seventh supporter, to "continue a 
short space," and then Austria came up the second time 
to occupy its position, and the beast still lived under an 
eighth head, which had also been the sixth, — we are pre- 
pared to understand when and under what circumstances 
these ten kings are to receive their power. It must be in 
connection with Austria, as that power comes to occupy 
its position the second time, that these ten kings are to 
receive their power as kings, and in harmony with this, 
we have seen, in tracing the history, that when the Coun- 
cil of Nations convened at Vienna to adjust the affairs of 
Europe, in 1815, at the close of the revolution, they not 
only reorganized Austria and restored it as a first-class 
power,- but Italy was also reorganized in its ten States, or 
divisions, and ten kings or rulers were placed in them, and 



462 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



10 king- 
doms. 



10 States 
repre- 
sented by 
them. 



Their 
power not 
independ- 
ent. 

All under 
Austria. 

" Power as 
kings one 
hour." 

Clearly 
repre- 
sented. 

13th verse. 

"One 

mind." 



The ten 
divisions 
all under 
Austria. 

J. S. C. 
Abbott. 



"Delivered 
back." 

The ten 

kings' 

powers 

Dependent 

on 

Austria. 



"Power 

and 

strength' 

given to 

Austria, 

"the 

beast." 



there were literally ten kingdoms established in the coun- 
try of Italy. These ten Italian States, or kingdoms, 
are, as we have noticed : Sardinia, Lombardy, Parma, 
Modena, Tuscany, San Moreno, States of the Church, 
Lucca, Naples (including Sicily), and Monaco. 

When this arrangement was completed, these ten States 
of Italy, which are represented by the ten kings, received 
"power askings." But was their power as kings inde- 
pendent power, by which they were able to act indepen- 
dently in all their affairs? Certainly not ; for as we have 
seen, these ten Italian States were all placed under the 
control of Austria, Austria being represented at this 
time by the beast under the eighth head ; and these kings 
being represented as receiving " power as kings one hour 
with the beast," so we are able to see how clearly all this is 
represented in the symbol, and also to feel the force of the 
language used in the thirteenth verse of this chapter, which 
states, that ' ' These have one mind, and shall give their power 
and strength unto the beast." In other words, these ten 
Italian States shall give their strength and power unto 
Austria. This was completely accomplished when these (en 
divisions of Italy were brought under the power and dic- 
tation of Austria by that Council of Nations, in 1815. 

J S. C. Abbott, in his History of Italy, page 540, says, 
with reference to the condition of Italy after it was re- 
organized at that time and placed under the power of 
Austria, — " Every privilege which the Italian people had 
gained in the line of popular rights was taken away from 
them, and they were delivered back, bound hand and foot, 
to their old masters. The whole peninsula became vir- 
tually but a province of Austria ; nearly all its depart- 
ments were governed by Austrian princes, or by those 
who acknowledged their dependence upon Austrian armies, 
to hold the restive people in subjection." Thus the ten 
kings had "power" to maintain their position and to keep 
their subjects in subjection, but they were dependent upon 
Austria for that power, and all their "power and strength" 
was given actually, with "one mind" to Austria. 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



463 



Could not 
be more 
clear. 
How long 
to con- 
tinue ? 



"One 
hour." 



They cease 



People 
restive. 



Clamor for 
liberty. 



Austria's 
sym- 
pathizers. 

Victor 
Emanuel. 
Liberates 
Sardinia. 



Eight 
others 
liberated. 

United in 
kingdom 
of Italy. 
States of 
the Church 

Still under 

Austria, 

which 

continues 

to support 

them. 

The Pope 
still at 
head of 
Church 
and State. 
Rome 
coveted by 
the Italians 



There could not be a more clear representation of these 
things than is seen in the ten horns of this scarlet beast. 

But how long is this state of things, wherein the ten 
kings are to have power with the beast, or the ten Italian 
States, to exist under the control of Austria? The angel 
says, they shall "have power as kings one hour" — a short 
time — " with the beast." This language implies that the 
time will come when they will cease to have that power 
with, and to give their strength and power unto, the beast; 
and we have seen, as we have traced their history, that in 
these Italian States, the people soon became restive, and 
desperate efforts were made to extricate themselves from 
the power of Austria. They clamored for liberty, and 
sometimes compelled the local ruler to rebel against Aus- 
tria, and to make an effort to throw off the Austrian yoke. 
But Austria, receiving the sympathy of England, Prussia, 
and Russia, was able to crush the rebellious parties, and 
to keep them in submission, until, finally, Victor Eman- 
uel, King of Sardinia, succeeded in liberating Sardinia 
from Austrian rule ; and it became an independent govern- 
ment in 1853. Then, as we have noticed, Napoleon III., 
having failed to supplant Austria in relation to the Papacy, 
joined with the King of Sardinia, and assisted in liber- 
ating other Italian States from the power of Austria ; and 
through their united efforts, and because of other favorable 
circumstances which existed, eight others of the Italian 
States were liberated from Austrian rule, and united to- 
gether under Victor Emanuel in the Kingdom of Italy, 
leaving that division known as the States of the Church, 
over which the Pope had control, alone under the power of 
Austria, and it continued in that relationship to Austria 
until 1870 ; and thus the Papal Church, represented by 
the woman, continued to be supported by Austria, not- 
withstanding the Kingdom of Italy had been formed, and 
the Pope occupied his position at the head of Church and 
State in Rome and the States of the Church. 

But the City of Rome was coveted by the Italians. They 
wanted it for the capital of their kingdom ; but they could 



464 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Cannot 
have it. 
Reason. 

Embit- 
tered. 



not have it as long as Austria continued to support the 
Papacy. 

Because of this they became embittered against the Pope 
and the Papal Church ; and their hatred became so excited 
that they were prepared to improve the first opportunity 
presented to destroy the power of the Pope, and to " take 
away his dominion." 



Italian 

States 

combined 

to " hate." 

Hatred 

manifest. 

Cannot 
interfere. 
Pius IX., 



Calls last 
Ecumeni- 
cal Council 
Convenes 
Dec. 8th, 
1869. 

Continues 

to Oct. 

20th, 1870. 

Number 

of seats. 

Number 

present. 

Dogma 

passed 

Jnlv 16th, 

1870. 



Text of the 
Dogma. 



Here we leave them, to notice further what the angel 
says concerning the horns of the beast. 

We read in the sixteenth verse that ' ' These shall hate 
the harlot, and shall make her desolate and naked, and 
shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire." 

We have just seen that the Italian States as combined 
in the Kingdom of Italy, began to manifest their hatred 
towards the harlot, or Papal Church, but were not in a po- 
sition to interfere with her while Austria continued as her 
protector and supporter ; but, after a time, the Pope, Pius 
IX., became ambitious to have his infallibility, which he 
and other Popes had claimed for themselves, established 
by a decree of a general, or Ecumenical Council. He there- 
fore, as we have seen, called that last Ecumenical Council, 
which convened at Pome on the 8th of Dec, 1869, and 
continued its session until the 20th of Oct., 1870. Ten 
hundred and thirty-seven persons were entitled to seats in 
that Council ; seven hundred and nineteen were present at 
its opening, and Jive hundred and thirty-Jive at its close. 

On the 16th of July, 1870, they came to the vote upon 
the question of infallibility, when they passed the following 
dosrna : — 

"We, — faithfully adhering to the traditions of the Chris- 
tian faith as received from the beginning, to the glory of 
God our Saviour, to the exaltation of the Catholic religion, 
and to the salvation of Christian peoples, with the appro- 
bation of the Sacred Council, — teach and define to be a 
divinely defined dogma : that the Roman Pontiff, when he 
speaks ex-cathedra, — that is, when in the discharge of his 
office of pastor and teacher of all Christians, he, by his 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



465 



The vote. 



The Pope's 

Ambition 

not 

satisfied. 

Desires a 

great 

display. 



His efforts 
to make it. 



His failure 



supreme, apostolic authority, demies any doctrine concern- 
ing faith or morals as necessary to be held, — pass, by the 
divine assistance promised to him in the person of St. Pe- 
ter, the power of that infallibility with which the divine 
Eedeemer willed that His Church should be furnished in 
defining; a doctrine concerning; faith or morals." 

When this dogma was passed, four hundred and fifty-one 
voted for it, sixty-two voted on conditions, and eighty-eight 
voted against it ; so it was carried by three hundred and 
one majority. 

It was not sufficient to satisfy the ambition of Pius IX. 
that this dogma had been decreed by the Council. He 
wished to make a great display, which would impress all 
with the fact that he was actually infallible, as the Council 
had declared him to be ; and that even God recognized 
him with his assumed attribute of the Deity. 

He therefore caused a throne to be erected in front of 
the eastern window in St. Peter's Cathedral ; and, having 
" arrayed himself in a perfect blaze of precious stones," he 
mounted that throne before sunrise on the morning of the 
18th of July, two daj^s after the dogma had been passed 
by the Council, and there prepared to read the declaration 
of the dogma, in the, presence of his Cardinals, Patriarchs 
and Bishops, while the rising sun should send its brilliant 
rays to light up the place, and make the Pope appear to 
be more than human.' As Dr. Cumming said : " He chose 
the early morning hour, and the eastern window, that the 
rising sun should flash its beams full upon his magnifi- 
cence, and by it his diamonds, rubies and emeralds, so re- 
fracted and reflected, that he should appear to be, not a 
man, but what the decree proclaimed him to be, one hav- 
ing ALL THE GLORY OF GOD." 

Thus he waited, upon the throne, to catch the first rays 
of the "King of Day," but it seemed as though God 
frowned upon the scene ; for "The sun," says Dr. Cumming, 
"refused to shine." A dark, gloomy cloud obscured its 
rays, and a terrific storm soon burst over the City of 
Rome. 



466 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Julv 18th, 
1870. 

Napoleon 
III 

dispatches 
his declar- 
ation of 
war to 
Berlin. 

Germans 

declare 

war 

against 

him. 

French 

troops 

evacuate. 

Rome, 

Aug. 4. 

Austria 
destroys 
concordat 

Same 

month. 

Refuses 

the Pope 

further 

support. 

Dr. Cum- 

ming's 

description 



" The dismal dawn darkened rapidly to a deeper and 
deeper gloom. The dazzle of glory could not be produced. 
The aged eyes of the would-be god could not see to read by 
daylight, and he had to send for candles. Candle-light 
strained his nerves of vision too much, and he handed the 
reading over to a cardinal. The cardinal began to read 
amidst an ever-blackening gloom, but had not read many 
lines before such a glare of liquid fire, and such a crash 
burst forth from the inky heavens as never was equalled 
at Rome before. 

Terror fell upon all. 

The reading ceased. 

One cardinal jumped trembling from his chair and 
exclaimed : — 

"It is the voice of God, speaking in the thunders of 
Sinai ! " 

On the very day that this grand and awful scene trans- 
pired in St. Peters at Rome, July 1.8th, 1870, Napoleon 
III. despatched his declaration of war to Berlin, and on 
the 19th of July the Germans declared war against France ; 
and thus the French ruler became involved to such an 
extent that he was obliged to withdraw his forces from 
Rome, and on the 4th of August the French troops began 
to evacuate that city. 

Soon, even in August, Austria becoming disgusted 
with the Pope, because of his course concerning the infal- 
libility dogma, destroyed the writings of agreement by 
which that power was bound to support the Papacy, 
and refused to support it longer ; and thus Austria, for 
the second time, ceased to support the Roman Catholic 
Church. 

Dr. Gumming describes the position and conduct of 
Austria with reference to this matter as follows : — 

"Austria even, long the dungeon of Europe, always the 
guardian of the Pope when no one else could be found to 
support him, shocked at the Pope's assumption of an 
attribute of Deity, tore the concordat into shreds, and cast 
it to the winds, and renounced the Pope's jurisdiction in 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



467 



Napoleon 
III. and 
Lis 
position. 



Way 
opened to 
the haters 
of the Popo 



Italian 
troops 
enter 
Rome 
Sept 20th. 



Oct. 2nd, 
renounces 
the tempo- 
ral power 
of the Pope 
The vote, 
40,835, 
against 46. 



The decree 
as passed 
by the 
Italians. 



Austria, root and branch. Then Austria passed a law 
granting liberty of the press, liberty of conscience, and 
freedom of education, throughout the length and breadth 
of the land." 

This was just after the French troops had left Rome, and 
while Napoleon III. was so occupied in the midst of the 
exciting scenes of the Franco-Prussian war that he could 
not fly to the rescue of the Pope, and become the ninth 
supporter of the papacy. He could not even support him- 
self in his position, and therefore surrendered to his 
enemies on the 2nd. of September, at Sedan. 

Now the way was fully opened for the haters of the 
Pope and his Holy See to manifest their hatred still more 
in destroying that power which had controlled the natural 
capital of Italy so long ; so they prepared to ' ' make " the 
harlot "desolate and naked/' by taking away the temporal 
power of the Pope. Therefore, the Italian troops entered 
Rome on the 20th of September, 1870, at ten o'clock in 
the forenoon, for the purpose of making that long-coveted 
cit} r , the capital of Italy, independent of Papal rule. 

October 2nd they voted to renounce the temporal power 
of the Pope. The vote stood, forty thousand eight hundred 
and thirty-jive, against forty -six ; and thus his temporal 
power was taken away. Then, on the 1st of November, 
in that same year, the following decree was passed by the 
Italian government,' in which the ten kings, or Italian 
States, represented by the ten horns, were combined, and 
represented. 

The decree said: "All the political authority of the 
Pope and the Holy See is abolished, and shall remain so.'' 
It also added : ' ' The Pope will be entirely free in the 
exercise of his ecclesiastical rights, which he now pos- 
sesses, as the supreme Chief of Catholicism, and will enjoy 
all the honors and liberties which constitute sovereign pre- 
rogative. The appendage of His Holiness and his court 
shall be furnished by Italy, which also assumes the debts 
hitherto contracted by the Pontifical States." (Abbott's 
Hist, of Italy, p. 619.) 



468 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Pius IX. a 
prisoner. 



Jan. 12th, 
1871. 

Protestant 
Church in 
Rome. 



Quotation 
from a 
Catholic 
writer. 



Thus the 
ten horns 
hate the 
harlot. 



Pius IX. 
in prison 
till 

Fch. 7th, 
1878. 

Leo XIII. 
Elected 
Pope Feb. 
20th, 1878. 



No tempo- 
ral power. 



2000 
pilgrims. 



Thus the Pope was divested of temporal power, and was 
only allowed to exercise his ecclesiastical authority under 
the dictation of the Italian kingdom, with Victor Emanuel 
at its head, and the city of Eome for its capital. 

From that time Pius IX. was virtually a prisoner in 
Eome ; that city which had so long bowed under the sway 
of the Pontifical sceptre. 

Religious liberty and toleration was established ; and, as 
the result, on Jan. 12th, 1871, a Protestant church was 
opened in Eome, and since that time more than forty Prot- 
estant churches have been opened for worship in that once 
Papal city. 

The Catholics themselves have realized the condition of 
their leader as that of imprisonment. An able Catholic 
writer said, interrogatively, with reference to Pius IX., 
some time after the Italians had deprived him of temporal 
power : — 

" Has not the best beloved and most revered man in all 
the world — the Holy Father, Pius IX. — been a virtual 
prisoner in his own Vatican palace, since Sept., 1870? 
And have not the last remains of his temporal sovereignty 
been treacherously robbed from him by the crowned revo- 
lutionists?" 

Thus the "crowned revolutionists," or kings, repre- 
sented by the horns of the beast, have hated the harlot and 
made her desolate and naked. 

Pius IX. continued in that imprisonment until Feb. 7th, 
1878, when he died, and was succeeded in his Pontifical 
prison by Leo XIII. , who was born on the 2d of March, 
1810, was elected Pope Feb. 20th, 1878, and was crowned 
on the 3d of March that same year. 

From that time to the present, he has been at the head 
of the Church, but has exercised no temporal power ; and 
he mourns to-day because of his imprisonment in the 
Vatican. 

Oct. 18th, 1881, two thousand pilgrims went to visit 
him ; and in St. Peter's they received his blessing, and 
cheered him in an enthusiastic manner ; but when they 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



469 



The 
roughs, 
and their 
cry. 

Pope's 
power gone 

The 

Mayor's 

choice. 



The 

Angel's 
statement. 



The 

description 
in 18th 
chapter. 



came forth from that "head center" of Catholicism, they 
were met by a company of '.' roughs," who shouted, ' 'Down 
with the Vatican ! " and thus manifested, emphatically, 
their hatred toward that Papal Church. 

And so, the Pope's power is gone ; and he and his 
church are bitterly hated by the Italians. 

So badly are they hated, that the Mayor of Eome has 
recently said, that he would "rather see Eome in ashes 
than to see it again under the power of the Popes." 

The angel said, that "These shall hate the harlot, and 
make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh and 
burn her with fire." 

All has been fulfilled, but the burning of the city in 
which this Harlot Church is located, and according to 
this prophecy, Eome is destined to be burned ; for in the 
eighteenth chapter of this book of Eevelation we have a 
description of that burning. 

This city is spoken of as Babylon the Great because 
of its likeness to ancient Babylon, as we have seen ; and 
as it goes down, similar language is used concerning; its 
final doom to that which was used concerning the ancient 
Babylon and its fall. 

The fervid and stirring description of the doom of this 
church and city is thus given by John : — 

* ' And after these things I saw another angel come down 
from heaven, having great power ; and the earth was light- 
ened with his glory. 

" And he cried mightily with aloud voice, saying, Baby- 
lon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habita- 
tion of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage 
of every unclean and hateful bird. 

' ' For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of 
her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed 
fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are 
waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies." 

Then he says : "And I heard another voice from heaven, 
saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partak- 
ers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 



470 THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 

" For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath 
remembered her iniquities. 

"Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double 
unto her double according to her works : in the cup which 
she hath filled, fill to her double. 

' ' How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deli- 
ciously, so much torment and sorrow give her : for she 
saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and 
shall see no sorrow. 

" Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and 
mourning, and famine ; and she shall be utterly burned 
with fire : for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. 

" And the kings of the earth, who have committed for- 
nication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, 
and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her 
burning, 

" Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, 
Alas, alas ! that great city of Babylon, that mighty city ! 
for in one hour is thy judgment come. 

' ' And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn 
over her : for no man buyeth their merchandise any more : 

"The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious 
stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, 
and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of 
ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and 
of brass, and iron, and marble, 

"And cinnamon, and odors, and ointments, and frank- 
incense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and 
beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, 
and souls of men. 

' ' And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed 
from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly 
are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more 
at all. 

" The merchants of these things, which were made rich 
by her, shall stand afar off, for the fear of her torment, 
weeping and wailing, 

" And saying, Alas, alas ! that great city, that was 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICjLL. 471 

clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked 
with gold, and precious stones, and pearls : 

" For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. 
And every ship-master, and all the company in ships, and 
sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, 

" And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, 
saying, What city is like unto this great city ! 

" And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping 
and wailing, saying, Alas, alas ! that great city, wherein 
were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of 
her costliness : for in one hour is she made desolate. 

" Rejoice over her, thou heavens, and ye holy apostles 
and prophets ; for God hath avenged you on her. 

" And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great mill- 
stone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence 
shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be 
found no more at all. 

" And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, 
and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee ; and 
no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any 
more in thee ; and the sound of a mill-stone shall be heard 
no more at all in thee ; 

" And the lisfht of a candle shall shine no more at all in 
thee ; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride 
shall be heard no more at all in thee : for thy merchants 
were the great men of the earth ; for by thy sorceries were 
all nations deceived. 

" And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of 
saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth." 

Then he says : — 
First of << ^nd after these things I heard a great voice of much 

chapter 19. . 

people in heaven, saying, Alleluia : Salvation, and glory, 
and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God. 

" For true and righteous are his judgments : for he hath 
judged the great whore, which did corrupt the whole earth 
with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his 
servants at her hand. 



472 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



" And again they said, Alleluia, 
up for ever and ever." 



And her smoke rose 



Thus the 
harlot is to 
so down. 



The scene 
which 
follows 
described. 



Thus the harlot is described, and thus she is to go down 
and to be destroyed forever ; and her destruction is to be 
followed by shouts of joy ; for that destruction brings us 
to the time when Christ shall receive his true Bride to him- 
self; and John describes the scene which follows this de- 
struction of the harlot as follows : — 

"And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts 
fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, say- 
ing, Amen ; Alleluia. 

" And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise 
our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both 
small and great. 

" And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, 
and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty 
thunderings, saying, Alleluia : for the Lord God omnipo- 
tent reigneth. 

" Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him : for 
the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made 
herself ready. 

" And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in 
fine linen, clean and white : for the fine linen is the righ- 
teousness of saints. 

" And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which 
are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he 
saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God." 



17th 
chapter, 
14th verse. 

Their final 
work and 
doom. 



We now inquire : What is to be the final work and 

doom of the ten kings; who, we are told, hate the harlot 

and "make her desolate, eat her flesh, and burn her with 

fire ? " This is described in the seventeenth chapter and 

fourteenth verse, thus : 

" These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb 
shall overcome them : for he is Lord of lords and King 
of kings : and they that are with him are called and chosen 
and faithful." 



THE ROMAN EMPIRE— PROPHETICAL. 



473 



Italians to 
continue 
their work 
till the 
Papacy 
goes down 
and the 
city is 
burned. 

The Lamb 
to come in 
contact 
with these 
kings. 

Overcomes 
them. 

Lamb to 
receive His 
pure 

Church to 
Himself. 

"We near 

that time. 



Admon- 
ition. 



According to this language, these Italians are to continue 
their work against the Papacy until it finally goes down 
and the city is burned, which brings us unto the time when 
the Lamb — Jesus — comes to claim his bride, Avhich is the 
true church; then when he conies, just before the marriage 
of the Lamb occurs, he is to come in contact with these 
kings — the haters and desolaters of the harlot church, — and 
"overcome them," as they "make war with" him; and 
having thus triumphed over every evil thing, the Lamb 
shall receive his pure and spotless bride-church to himself. 

It is thus evident, from the fulfillment of God's word, 
that we are very near that time when "The Lamb of God" 
The Lord Jesus Christ, will triumph over every foe, 
and bring his true followers to rejoice in his presence 
forever. 

Friend, may God help you and help us all to be among 
those who shall rejoice in that day ! 



LECTURE VIII. 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



THE STONE AND THE MOUNTAIIT, 



Introduc- 
tion. 

Different 
position. 

"What has 
been done 
thus far. 



The 

empires 

which 

have been 

traced. 

The fourth 

one, to the 

present. 

The 

nations 

which now 

exist. 

History 

can be 

traced no 

farther. 

Man's 

story 

continued. 

Cannot 

penetrate 

the future. 

Must wait. 



Our stand- 
point. 

Question. 



As we approach the subject of this, the last lecture of 
the course, we occupy a position different from that occu- 
pied before during these lectures. 

Thus far we have been tracing the history of the great 
empires which have already existed upon the earth, and 
have found that just four have thus existed in their order, 
each holding sway over all other nations. 

The Babylonian, Medo-Persian, Grecian, and the 
Roman Empires have thus been traced. 

We have finally traced the history of the fourth one to 
the present time, and have noticed the broken and divided 
condition of the nations which now exist upon its territory, 
Avhich are but the fragments of this Old Eoman Empire. 

And now we stand where we can trace history no far- 
ther, until other events shall have transpired. 

Man has told his story thus far, and it is left, " To be 
continued. 

The future he cannot penetrate, to describe events which 

SHALL BE. 

He must wait until these events have transpired before 
he can resume his story. 

Here we stand, where we can look over the past 
and note what has been ; and where we turn toward the 
future to inquire what shall be. 



476 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



All classes 
raise it. 

All 

anxious to 
know the 
future. 

From a 
human 
standpoint 
Observa- 
tion taken. 
Conclusion 
Argument. 

Different 
theories. 

What 
some think 
and say. 



Opinion of 
others. 



One man's 
opinion as 
good as 
another's. 



All classes naturally raise this question, some having a 
more thorough realization of its import than others. 

Statesmen, politicians, scientists, and all other classes of 
men, are anxious to know the future, and are exercising all 
their powers to penetrate it. 

From their human stand-point they take observation ; 
they scan the horizon ; they look over the arena ; they 
form their conclusions ; and finally they produce their ar- 
guments concerning the events of the future, and thereby 
attempt to show what will be. 

But they do not all arrive at the same conclusions ; they 
have different theories about the matter. 

Some, taking; into consideration the nations of the Old 
World and their present condition and surroundings, and 
seeing the war-cloud which is gathering in blackness over 
them, tell us that while it is evident, that sooner or later 
they will become involved in a general conflict, some one 
of them, perhaps Russia, will finally triumph over the 
others, and succeed in establishing a Fifth Universal Em- 
pire ; and thus the affairs will be adjusted, and the world's 
history continued as in the past, until another shall be- 
come strong enough to overpower that fifth and establish a 
sixth, in the same manner. 

Other say it is impossible for Russia, or any other one 
of the existing nations, to gain the supremacy over all the 
others ; therefore, we are not to expect it ; that the diffi- 
culties among the nations will finally be settled, and all 
their affairs adjusted properly and satisfactorily, and they, 
in their respective governments, will settle down to the 
enjoyment of peace, harmony, and prosperity; and thus 
they think the world's history will be continued onward 
for thousands of years, perhaps, forever. 

Now concerning these theories, we say, one man's opin- 
ion is as good as another's, provided both have the same 
degree of intelligence, and are equally competent to judge. 
But, with all his ability and powers of reasoning, no man 
is able, of himself, to penetrate the future and tell us what 
will be. 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



477 



None able 
to tell 
what will 
be. 



Men 

constantly 
surprised. 

Correct 
knowledge 



Man's 
wisdom in- 
sufficient; 
God's 
wisdom 
sufficient. 



Darkness 
lighted up. 



The only 
light. 



Peter's 
statement. 



Our 
purpose. 

Our future 
portrayed. 



Symbol 
noticed. 



First line 
of symbols 



Our future. 
The 

metallic 
image. 



Men are therefore shut up to the present. 

No one is able to declare positively what will occur even 
one hour hence. He may guess and presume what shall 
be, and he may be right and he may be wrong. 

All is uncertain. 

Men are constantly surprised at the occurrence of events 
which they do not expect, or at the non-occurrence of those 
which they do expect. Therefore, if any correct knowl- 
edge of the future is gained, it must come from a more 
reliable source than man's wisdom. 

But Avhile man's wisdom is insufficient, God's wisdom is 
sufficient ; and while man's theories fail and his represen- 
tations prove incorrect, God's declarations never fail and 
his prophetic representations are thoroughly reliable, as is 
proved by the fulfillment of the prophecies which we have 
considered. 

Now, while men are unable to penetrate the darkness of 
the future, God has lighted it up before us by his pro- 
phetic word. 

Prophecy is the only light which sends its rays into the 
future, and that light shines for us ; for, as Peter de- 
clares : — 

" We have a more sure word of prophecy, whereunto 
ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth 
in a dark place; until the day dawn, and the day star 
arise." 

As this prophetic light shines for us, we purpose to 
follow it, and to learn what is before us in the future. 

Our future has been portrayed in symbol, and by direct 
and plain declarations, uttered by "holy men" upon whom 
God has "moved" by his spirit. 

In considering this subject, we shall first notice the 
symbolic representation of what lies before us. 

When God introduced the first line of symbols, by 
which to represent the world's great empires, that one 
which Nebuchadnezzar saAv in his dream, and which Daniel 
described and interpreted, He also represented our future. 

The Metallic Image, which thus appeared to Nebuchad- 



478 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Human 
form, gov- 
ernments. 



More than 
the image. 



The stone 
smites the 
image. 

The result. 



Becomes a 
mountain. 

What the 
feet and 
toes mean. 



Further 
interpreta- 
tion. 

" These 
kings." 
Fragments 
of the old 
empire. 

The God of 
heaven sets 
up a 
kingdom. 



Fifth 
kingdom. 

How 

repre- 
sented. 



nezzar, represented, as we have seen, four great and predom- 
inant kingdoms, or empires, which have filled their places in 
consecutive order, each one holding sway over all other 
nations during its supremacy ; and it has been properly 
stated, that "The human form was thus used to represent 
human governments." 

But according to Daniel's description, Nebuchadnezzar 
saw in his dream something beside this image, " Whose 
brightness was excellent," and whose "form" was so 
"terrible." 

He saw, — ' ' Till that a stone was cut out without 
hands, which smote the image upon his feet, that were of 
iron and clay, and brake them to pieces : 

"Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and 
the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the 
chaff of the summer threshing-floors ; and the wind carried 
them away that no place was found for them : and the 
stone that smote the image, became a great mountain, and 
filled the whole earth." (Dan. 2 : 34, 35.) 

We have noticed when considering the feet and toes of 
the image, according to the interpretation given of them, 
that they properly and significantly represent the broken 
and divided condition of the Roman Empire, or the 
governments which now exist as fragments of that once 
mighty government. 

Now as Daniel proceeds with the interpretation of the 
dream, he says : 

" In the days of these kings" [referring to these frag- 
ments of the old empire, — the modern kings or kingdoms 
upon its territory] , — " In the days of these kings, shall the 
God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be 
destroyed ; and the kingdom shall not be left to other 
people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these 
kingdoms, and it shall stand forever." 

But why does the prophet thus speak ? 

Because this fifth kingdom is represented in the sym- 
bol by the mountain, just as really as the four which have 
already been considered were represented by the image ; 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



479 



Daniel's 
explana- 
tion. 



Dream 
certain. 

Has been 
proved. 



Is its 
future 
uncertain ? 

No. 



What he 
has said. 



One more 
universal 
empire. 

The fifth. 



Repre- 
sented • 
1st, by the 
stone ; 
2d, by the 
mountain. 



Reference 
to the four 
others. 



Nations 
and 

peoples 
before the 
supremacy 



for Daniel says, by way of explanation and authority, after 
declaring that " the God of heaven would set up a king- 
dom which should stand forever : " — 

* ' Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of 
the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the 
iron, the brass, the clay, the silver and the gold ; the great 
God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass 
hereafter ; and the dream is certain and the interpretation 
thereof sure." 

We have proved that "the dream was certain," and 
that ' ' the interpretation thereof was sure " up to the 
present time ; and now, shall we begin to say that this 
dream is un-" certain," and that the interpretation thereof 
is not " sure," as it relates to our future? 

We cannot do so without dishonoring the God of heaven, 
because, after He has proved His word to be reliable even 
to the present, it would be casting reflection upon His ve- 
racity to question His word concerning the future of our 
times. 

We therefore give attention to what He has said, and 
accept His symbolic representation as that of a kingdom 
which is to come. 

There is to be one more Universal Empire upon this 
earth, — the Fifth one, — and it shall stand forever. 

It is of this Fifth Empire we are now to speak, as rep- 
resented by the stone. and the mountain. 

This Empire is represented, first, by the stone, Itegnum 
Lapidis, — The kingdom of the stone; and then, sec- 
ond, by the mountain, as the stone becomes a mountain, 
or the kingdom gains its supremacy and becomes Regnum 
Montis, — The kingdom of the mountain, — and "fills 

THE WHOLE EARTH." 

In giving the history of the Four Great Empires which 
have existed, we have found it necessary to go back of 
their supremacy, and to trace the events of their history 
prior to that supremacy, and we have seen that the na- 
tions and people, who in their order have succeeded in 
establishing these Great Empires, have existed, and had 



480 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Fifth 

empire not 
yet. 



"The 

righteous 
nation." 

Long 
history. 

Theirs the 
next Great 
Empire. 



Back to 

the 

creation. 



Man. 

A help 

meet, 

woman. 



Dominion 
given. 



Kingdom 
established 
Under God 



Garden 
planted. 



Desirable 
position. 

The earth. 



their history, prior to the predominance of their empires. 
We have also gone far back of the supremacy of the first 
one, to commence the history of each of the others. 

The Fifth Empire is not yet established, but we are 
drawing near to the time when its supremacy is to be 
gained, and its universal sway is to be realized, and now 
we purpose to go back even beyond the supremacy of the 
First Empire, to commence the history of the nation and 
people, in whose interest this fifth empire is to be estab- 
lished. But who is this nation and who are the people 
whose history is allied to this empire ? 

It is the righteous nation of God and the people of his 
choice to whom this kingdom is promised, and with whom 
this empire is to be established. They have had a long 
and interesting history, and have come at last to the point 
where they are assured that their's is to be the next great 
Empire, which is to hold sway over all the earth. 

In tracing the history of this nation and people, then, 
we shall be obliged to go back even to the creation, to 
understand how they came to be ; to notice their position 
and to consider God's dealings with them, onward, from 
that time to the present. Then we shall be prepared to 
appreciate their prospect in relation to the coming kingdom. 

After God had " created the heavens and the earth,' 
He created " man in His own image ; " and then, for the 
man, He created a " helpmeet, who was called " woman ;" 
" male and female created he them," and to them He gave 
" dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of 
the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and 
over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." 

Thus a kingdom was established upon the earth, and 
man was given dominion under the jurisdiction of God ; to 
be regulated by his authority and discipline. 

God " planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he 
put the man whom he had formed," and to whom He had 
thus given dominion ; so placing Adam and Eve in the 
most desirable position possible. 

The earth beneath their feet was robed in unmarred 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



481 



Beauty. 
Trees. 
Fruit. 
Tree of life. 

Something 

more, 

necessary. 



These 
beings' 
intelli- 
gence. 



Character. 

Character 
less. 
Neither 
good nor 
bad. 



Oppor- 
tunity to 
dcvelope. 



Discipline 
of law. 



The proc- 
lamation 
of the law. 
Oppor- 
tunity to 
violate it. 

Powor of 
choice. 



The law 
simple. 



Restricted. 
One tree 
forbidden. 



beauty ; the numerous trees of that Eden garden were 
laden with fruit, which was pleasant to the sight and good 
for food ; and " the tree of life" was there, to perpetuate 
their existence as long as they had access to it. 

But something more than pleasant surroundings were 
necessary to make them happy, and to place them where 
they could appreciate and enjoy what God had provided 
for them. 

These beings were created with a higher degree of intel- 
ligence, and a greater capacity for enjoyment, than the 
beasts, over which they were given dominion. But, before 
that intelligence could shine in its brightness, and that ca- 
pacity for enjoyment be filled, they must have the oppor- 
tunity to develop character ; for, when first created, Adam 
and Eve were characterless. They were neither good nor 
bad, having never done a good act nor a bad one. In 
order to occupy the high and noble position which God 
designed they should, they must develop a good and sub- 
stantial character ; and, for that purpose, the opportunity 
to develop such a character must be given them. Such an 
opportunity could only be given them through the disci- 
pline and regulation of law ; and so God, their Creator, 
gave them a law by which to regulate them ; and by that 
law they were held amenable to Him, who had a right to 
control the work of His own hands in a manner in harmony 
with the nature of His works. 

The proclamation of the law unavoidably created the 
opportunity to violate it ; and thus Adam and his helpmeet 
were placed in a position to choose between right and 
wrong, and were given the opportunity to obey or disobey, 
and thus to develop a character, good or bad, as they might 
choose. 

The law by which God arranged to discipline them was 
very simple in its requirements, and yet sufficient to test 
their obedience and to develop their character. 

He only restricted them concerning one tree of the 
garden, — the tree of knowledge of good and evil, — while 
he gave them free access to every other. 



482 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



A penalty 
necessary. 



Text of the 
law. 



The 

penalty. 
Man's 
position. 



Obey and 
live ; 
disobey 
and die. 
Adam 
breaks the 
law. 

The 

woman 

beguiled. 

Adam eats, 

unbeguiled 

Loses 

dominion 

and life. 

The earth 
cursed. 



Beauty 
marred. 



Men's 
govern- 
ments. 



Their four 
empires. 



When the law concerning this tree was proclaimed, a 
penalty was attached to it, to give it strength, for a law 
without a penalty, is powerless. 

Therefore, God proclaimed this law and declared its 
penalty in the following language :- — 

' ' Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat : 

"But of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou 
shalt not eat of it ; for in the day that thou eatest thereof 
thou shalt surely die." 

With this law and its penalty before him, man under- 
stood the will of his Creator, and the results to himself, if 
he should transgress. 

He could obey the requirements of the law and live, or 
he could disobey and die. 

But Adam chose rather to break the law than to keep it. 

The serpent beguiled the woman, and she ate of the 
forbidden fruit, and then she gave to her husband, and he 
ate of it, in violation of the law of God. 

By this means he lost his dominion and his life. 

So God took away the dominion and cursed the terri- 
tory over which man had ruled, saying — 

" Cursed be the ground for thy sake, in sorrow shalt 
thou eat of it all the days of thy life. 

* ' Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee ; 
and thou shalt eat the herb of the field." 

Thus earth's beauty became marred, and its glory 
became dimmed ; thorns and thistles began to grow, and 



been 



groaning under 



the 



from that time the earth has 
curse. 

After sin and rebellion had thus been introduced into the 
world, men began to establish governments for themselves, 
led on by Nimrod, whose name in Hebrew means, to rebel ; 
and the history of human governments has been continued 
to the present, during which time, as we have seen, four 
great empires have held sway over all others, as they 
have existed in the consecutive order in which we have 
considered them. 

But notwithstanding the efforts of men to control the 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



483 



God's 
grand 
object. 



Lost 

dominion 
to be 
restored. 

Provision 



To annul 
the 

serpent's 
work. 



God's 
declaration 



Gloom 
lighted. 



Special 
people. 



His special 
care. 

Genealogy 
of the seed 



From 
Adam to 
Noah. 



1656 years. 



affairs of this world, God has never for one moment lost 
sight of the grand object which he had in creating the 
world, and in giving man dominion upon the earth ; and 
notwithstanding that he took away the dominion, and 
cursed the earth, he has kept the fact prominent that the 
lost dominion would be restored, and a kingdom would 
finally be established in harmony with his will, and which 
should " stand forever." 

He therefore provided for the restoration of the kingdom 
and dominion. 

The serpent had spoiled man's right to it ; but God, to 
annul the effects of this work of the serpent, provided for 
his final destruction, and thereby to lift the encumbrance- 
curse from the dominion. 

He therefore declared that ' ' the seed of the woman " 
should "bruise" the head of the serpent; and thus he 
designated One who should triumph over the serpent and 
restore the lost dominion. 

This lighted up the gloom , and gave to those who were 
willing to believe in the promised Seed, an opportunity to 
thus prepare for an inheritance in the restored dominion. 

From that time onward God had a special people, whose 
interests were involved in that inheritance, and whose 
faith grasped that promised delivering Seed. 

God had a special care of this people and preserved 
them, keeping even the genealogy of the promised Seed 
distinct until that Seed was born. 

This line of genealogy is given from Adam to Noah, 
through the first-born sons, as follows : — 

Adam, Seth, [Cain having been set aside,] Enos, 
Cainan, Mahalaleel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, 
Lamech, and Noah. 

This genealogical line extends over a period of sixteen 
hundred and fifty six years, from the creation to the flood. 

After that terrible judgment had swept the inhabitants 
of earth from off its face, except Noah, and his three sons 
with their wives, who were saved in the ark, we have this 
line of genealogy continued onward until another impor- 



484 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Genealogy 
continued 
to the call 
of 
Abraham. 

The line. 



Abraham's 
birth-blace 
Called. 



God's 
direction. 



Promises. 



The call 
heeded. 



Eeaches 
Canaan. 



The Lord 

appears. 

The 

promise. 
No seed. 

Builds an 
altar. 



Goes to 
Egypt. 

Returns. 



The herds- 
men's 
troubles 
and separ- 
ation. 



tant epoch in the history of this people is reached at the 
call of Abraham, when the promise concerning the Seed 
was renewed. 

The names through which the line of the Seed is preserved 
to that time are ; 

" Noah, Shem, Arphaxed, Selah, Eber, Peleg, 
Keuben, Seeug, Nahor, Terah and Abraham. 

Abraham was born in " Ur of the Chaldees," and after 
a time God called him to go out from that land, and prom- 
ised him special blessing, saying : 

"Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and 
from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee ; 

"And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will 
bless thee, and make thy name great ; and thou shalt be a 
blessing. 

" And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him 
that curseth thee ; and in thee shall all families of the earth 
be blessed." (Gen. 12: 1-3.) 

This son of Terah heeded the call ; and grasping the 
promised blessing by faith, he went out. 

He journeyed under the direction of God, until he finally 
came into the land of Canaan, where he arrived in the 
seventy-fifth year of his age, being accompanied by his 
nephew, Lot. 

When Abraham had reached the land of Canaan, "The 
Lord appeared unto " him, " and said : " — 

" Unto thy seed will I give this Land." 

This promise was made to Abraham when he had no 
seed; but he "believed God," "and there he builded an 
altar unto the Lord." 

After this, Abraham journeyed towards the south, and 
went into Egypt ; but after a time he returned ; and enter- 
ing again into the land of Canaan, he proceeded " unto the 
place of the altar which he had made there at the first ; and 
there" he " called on the name of the Lord." 

Soon after he returned to Canaan, there began to be 
strife between the herdmen of Abraham and Lot concern- 
ing their cattle and pasturage, which made it necessary 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



485 



God 

appears 

again. 



Second 
promise. 



Another 
altar. 



Isaac born. 

God's 
statement. 



Abra- 
ham's 
descend- 
ants in 
bondage. 



Delivered. 



The Law at 
Sinai. 



40 years in 
the 

Wilder- 
ness. 

Enters 
Canaan. 

The land 
divided. 

Judsres, 
450 years. 



that they separate, when Abraham gave Lot his choice 
which way to go, pledging himself to go in the opposite 
direction. 

When the separation had been effected, God appeared 
again unto Abraham and made him another promise, 
covering more ground than the first one covered, say- 
ing:— 

" Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where 
thou art, northward, and southward, and eastward, and 
westward; 

" Foe all the land which thou seest, to thee will 
i give it, and to thy seed, for ever." 

"And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth ; . . . 

"Arise, walk through the land, in the length of it and 
in the breadth of it ; for I will give it unto thee. 

' ' Then Abraham removed his tent and came and dwelt 
in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there 
an altar unto the Lord." 

Twenty-five years after Abraham first entered the land 
of Canaan, and had received the promise concerning his 
seed, a son was born to him, whom he called Isaac ; and 
God said to Abraham, on the birth of that son, — 

" In Isaac shall thy seed be called." 

About two hundred years after that time, the descend- 
ants of Abraham, through Isaac, were found in Egypt, in 
bondage. 

After years of servitude under task-masters, God deliv- 
ered them by Moses, who led them across the western arm 
of the Red sea, now known as the Gulf of Suez. Its 
waters dividing, to let them pass, they came to Mount 
Sinai, where they received the Law, by which they were, 
from that time, to be governed. They then wandered 
forty years in the wilderness, and finally came in from the 
east, across the river Jordan, into the land of Canaan, to 
inherit it, as God had promised. 

The land was divided to. them by lot, according to the 
twelve tribes. 

For about four hundred and fifty years after this people 



486 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Clamor for 
a king. 

Saul ; 
reigns 40 
years. 
Removed. 
David. 

Throne in 

David's 

name. 



David, 7 
years in 
Hebron. 

33 years in 
Jerusalem. 



Solomon, 
40 years. 



Rehoboam 

Jeroboam. 

A mighty 
man. 



Separate 
kingdom. 



Two 

kingdoms, 
250 years. 



Tribe of 
Judah. 

Royal line 
continued. 



Rehoboam 
17 years. 

Abijah, 3 
years. 

Asa, 41 
years. 



thus entered the land of Canaan, they were ruled by 
judges ; after which they began to clamor for a king, that 
they might be like other nations ; and God gave them 
Saul, who reigned forty years. God then removed Saul, 
and placed another king in his stead, — David, a man of 
his own choice, — and thus established a permanent king- 
dom among his people, fixing the throne in the name of 
David, saying unto him : — 

"Thine house and thy kingdom shall be established 
forever before thee ; thy throne shall be established for- 
ever." (2 Sam. 7 : 16.) 

David reigned seven years in Hebron, and then the city 
of Jerusalem became the grand capital of this Davidic 
Kingdom ; and David reigned in that city thirty-three 
years, — his entire reign covering forty years, — when he 
died, and his son Solomon succeeded to the throne. 

Solomon reigned forty years, and was succeeded by his 
son Rehoboam. 

Rehoboam was soon involved in trouble because of 
Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, Solomon's servant, who "was 
a mighty man of valor," and who used his might and his 
valor against Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. 

He led off the majority of the people of Israel, and set 
up a separate kingdom at Samaria, leaving only the tribe 
of Judah under Rehoboam, in Jerusalem, and from that 
time onward, for over two hundred and fifty years, there 
were two kingdoms among this people — The Kingdom 
of Judah, and the Kingdom of Israel. 

The tribe of Judah being left in Jerusalem, the royal 
line of David was continued upon the throne in that city, 
until twenty rulers had occupied that imperial seat after 
the division was effected. 

Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, reigned seventeen years 
in Jerusalem, and was succeeded by his son Abijah. 

Abijah reigned three years, and was succeeded by 
Asa. 

Asa reigned forty-one years, and was followed by 
Jehoshaphat. 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



487 



Jehosha- 
phat, 25 
years. 

Jehoram, 8 
years. 

Ahaziali, 1 
year. 



Athaliah, 
6 years. 



Joash, 40 
years. 

Amaziah, 
52 years. 

Azariah, 
29 years. 

Jotham, 16 
years. 

Ahaz, 16 
years. 

Hezekiah, 
29 years. 

Manasseh, 
55 years. 

Amon, 2 
years. 
Josiah, 31 

years. 

Jehoahaz, 
3 months. 



Jehoiakim 
11 years. 

Jehoiachin 
3 months. 



Zedekiah, 
11 years. 



Jehoshaphat occupied the throne twenty-five years, and 
was succeeded by Jehoram. 

Jehoram reigned eight years, and was succeeded by 
Ahaziah. 

Ahaziah continued on the throne only one year, when 
he was killed, and Athaliah, the widow of Jehoram and 
daughter of Ahab, king of Israel, usurped the throne. 

Athaliah continued to exercise her usurped authority 
six years, having made an effort to destroy all the mem- 
bers of the royal family ; but one, Joash, was preserved 
to succeed her, and continue the line of David. 

Joash reigned forty years, and was followed by Ama- 
ziah. 

Amaziah reigned twenty-nine years, and was succeeded 
by Azariah. 

Azariah continued upon the throne fifty-two years, and 
was followed by Jotham. 

Jotham reigned sixteen years, and was succeeded by 
Ahaz. 

Ahaz occupied the imperial seat sixteen years, and was 
succeeded by Hezekiah. 

Hezekiah reigned twenty-nine years, and was followed 
by Manasseh. 

Manasseh reigned fifty-five years, and was succeeded 
by Amon. 

Amon reigned two-years, and was followed by Josiah. 

Josiah reigned thirty-one years, and was succeeded by 
Jehoahaz. 

Jehoahaz only reigned three months, when he was 
followed by Jehoiakim. 

Jehoiakim reigned eleven years, and was succeeded by 
Jehoiachin. 

Jehoiachin reigned three months only, when he was 
removed, and Zedekiah succeeded to the throne. 

Zedekiah reigned eleven years three months and nine 
days, when he was taken prisoner by the forces of Nebu- 
chadnezzar, king of Babylon. 

Finally his eyes were^put out, by order of that king, and 



488 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Line of 
kings ends. 

God 

announces 
a king. 

Prophet 
sent to 
Zedekiah. 



The 
official 
announce- 
ment. 



Jerusalem 
destroyed. 



70 years' 
bondage 
euds. 
Edict of 
Cyrus. 

The Jews 
return. 
Temple 
and city 
rebuilt. 



No king. 



History 
onward to 
the Roman 
empire. 



he was carried, a poor, blind captive, to Babylon, where 
many others of the Jews had been carried before, and 
there he remained until his death. 

Thus ended the line of kings on the throne of David. 

But before that wicked king, Zedekiah, stepped down 
from that throne, God announced the king who should 
finally occupy the throne as the legal heir, and who should 
reign by right upon it. He therefore sent his prophet, 
Ezekiel, to Zedekiah, with a message concerning the throne 
he was about to vacate. 

The prophet thus addressed him who had degraded the 
throne : — 

" And thou profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day 
is come when iniquity shall have an end ; 

' ' Thus saith the Lord God ; Remove the diadem and 
take off the crown ; this shall not be the same ; exalt him 
that is low and abase him that is high. 

" I will overturn, overturn, overturn it, and it shall be 
no more, until He come whose eight it is ; and I will 
give it to Him." 

From that time oh ward, during the history of the Baby- 
lonian, the Medo-Persian, and the Grecian Empires, no 
heir appeared to claim the throne of David. 

When the reign of Zedekiah ended, Jerusalem was de- 
stroyed ; and that capital city remained in desolation while 
the Jews were in captivity in Babylon. 

Finally the seventy years of bondage ended ; and Cyrus, 
at the head of the Medo-Persian Empire, issued his famous 
edict, by which these people were permitted to go back to 
Jerusalem and build up their city ; and they went back, 
under the leadership of Zerubbabel, a crownless prince 
of the royal, Davidic line, and commenced the work. 

After much opposition and difficulty they succeeded in 
building up the temple and the city ; but they had no king 
to reign over them, on the throne of David ; and we trace 
the history of tins kingless people onward, in connection 
with their city and government, to the time of the estab- 
lishment of the Roman Empire in its glory, before the an- 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



4S9 



No heir 
appears. 



Genealogy- 
continued. 



One claims 
the throne. 



Angel sent 
to a virgin. 



His 

announce- 
ment. 



Begotten 
of the 
Spirit. 



Bethlehem 



Jesus. 

Pro- 
claimed to 
shepherds. 



The 

angel's 

message. 



nouncement is made that the long-promised Heir to David's 
throne had appeared. 

But during all these years the people existed, and the 
line of genealogy was continued so distinctly that if one 
claimed that vacant throne it could be easily proved 
whether he was in the line, and thereby the heir, or 
whether he was an impostor. 

Finally, One did appear to claim this throne of David. 

When the Fourth Great Empire of the World had been 
established, in the days of Caesar Augustus, the first Ko- 
man Emperor, an angel appeared unto a virgin of the royal 
line of David, and said unto her: 

" Behold, thou shalt conceive . . . and bring forth a son, 
and shalt call his name Jesus. 

"He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of 
the Highest ; and the Lord God shall give unto him 
the throne of his father david ; 

"And He shall reign over the house of Jacob 
forever ; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." 

This One, whose birth the angel thus announced to that 
virgin, Mary, was to be " begotten by the Holy Ghost." 

Time passed on, and finally Mary, and Joseph her hus- 
band, who had taken her to be his wife, went up to Beth- 
lehem to be enrolled for taxation, according to the "decree 
of Csesar Augustus," and there, in that city, in a stable, 
Mary brought forth her first-born son, and called his name 
Jesus. 

His birth was proclaimed to shepherds by an angel, 
who "came upon them" as they were watching their 
flocks by night, on the plains of Bethlehem, and said : — 

" Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which 
shall be to all people. 

" For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a 
Saviour, who is Christ, The Lord. 

" And this shall be a sign unto you : ye shall find the 
babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 

" And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of 
the heavenly host, praising God, and saying : — 



490 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



The 

shepherds' 
visit to 
Bethlehem 



Find the 
babe. 



Wise men. 



Their 
inquiry. 



Herod 
troubled. 



His 
demands. 



Their 
answer. 

The 
prophecy. 



Herod 
interviews 
the wise 
men. 

Sends 
them to 
Bethlehem 



Desire to 
worship. 



" Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace and 
good will to men." 

When this wonderful scene was over, and the Angelic 
host had retired, the shepherds hastily came to Bethlehem, 
that city where David also had been born, and where the 
horn of oil had been poured on the head of that shepherd- 
boy, when God chose him to be the king of his people, 
and in whose name that throne was established which had 
so long been without an occupant. 

When those men, who were of the same occupation as 
David himself had been, reached the city, they "found 
Joseph and Mary, and the babe lying in a manger," and 
declared what was told them by the angel concerning this 
child. 

After this : ' « There came wise men from the east to 
Jerusalem, 

' ' Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews ? 
for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to 
worship him." 

This inquiry of the wise men troubled Herod, the Ro- 
man ruler of Judea ; and knowing that the Jews claimed to 
be expecting a king, he " gathered all the chief priests and 
scribes of the people together," and " demanded of them 
where the Christ " — their expected king — was to "be 
born." 

" And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea ; for 
thus it is written by the prophet, 

" And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the 
least among the princes of Juda ; for out of thee shall 
come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel." 

Then Herod " called the wise men," and interviewed 
them concerning ' ' what time " that signal ' ' star ap- 
peared." 

"And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and 
search diligently for the young child ; and when ye have 
found him, bring me word again, that I may come and 
worship him also." 

This expressed desire of Herod to worship the King of 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



491 



Feigned. 



The wise 
men find 
the child. 



"Warned 
not to 
return. 



Joseph 
warned. 



Herod 

seeks the 
child's life. 



Jesus' age. 



His life 
preserved. 

His 

manhood. 
Claims the 
throne. 



Baptized. 



Spirit of 
God 

descends 
upon him. 



the Jews, was feigned ; but the wise men departed in pur- 
suit of the star-heralded child, the heir to David's throne ; 
and that star-herald and guide, which they had seen " in 
the east, went before them, till it came and stood over 
where the young child was ; " and thus the place of his 
residence was pointed out. 

The wise men entered the house, where " they saw the 
young child, with Mary his mother." And they " wor- 
shipped him." 

These wise men ' ' being warned of God in a dream that 
they should not return to Herod," "departed to their own 
country another way." 

And then the ' ' angel of the Lord " appeared to Joseph 
in a dream," and commanded him to "take the young 
child and his mother and flee into Egypt," " for Herod," 
he said, would "seek the young child to destroy him;" 
and Joseph did as the angel directed. 

Herod did seek to destroy Jesus ; and, in order to re- 
move that Heir to the Davidic throne, he " sent forth and 
slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all 
the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, accord- 
ing to the time which he had diligently inquired of the 
wise men." 

Jesus must therefore have been nearly two years old 
when Herod sought his life ; but that precious life was 
preserved, and that '.'Prince of the House of David" grew 
to manhood, and finally entered Jerusalem to claim the 
throne to which he was the le^al heir. 

This heir-apparent first appeared on the banks of the 
River Jordan, where John, his special messenger, was en- 
gaged in proclaiming the kingdom " at hand" and in bap- 
tizing the people, and was himself buried beneath the 
waters of that river by the hands of " The Baptist." 

When Jesus was thus baptized, he "went up straight- 
way out of the water, and lo, the heavens were opened 
unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a 
dove, and lighting upon him." 

And " a voice from heaven" said: 



492 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Voice from 
heaven. 



Jesus 
anointed. 
The Christ 



Enters 
Jerusalem 



His royal 
majesty. 

Attended 

with 

honors. 



The shouts 
of the 
people. 



The 
question. 



Refused to 

recognize 

him. 



Jesus 

weeps over 
the city. 



Ignorance. 



' ' This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well 

PLEASED." 

Thus Jesus was anointed and became The Christ — The 
Christos — The Anointed One. 

As the legal and anointed heir to David's throne, Jesus 
Christ at length entered Jerusalem and asserted his claim 
to the kingless throne. 

He came thus in royal majesty, riding upon an ass' colt ; 
and, as he advanced towards that capital of David's king- 
dom, " Many spread their garments in the way ; and oth- 
ers cut down branches off the trees and strawed them in 
the way." 

' ' And they that went before and they that followed 
cried, saying : 

" Hosanna to the Son of David — Blessed is the 
King of Israel that cometh in the name of the 
Lord." 

" Blessed be the kingdom of our Father David,— 
that cometh in the name of the lord ; hosanna in 
the highest." 

" And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city 
was moved, saying : 

' ' Who is this ? " 

They recognized the royalty, beheld the kingly majesty, 
and understood the ceremony, and that thus one had 
come claiming heirship to the long-vacant throne ; but they 
were not willing to receive him, and to allow the corona- 
tion to take place ; and so they said : ' ' Who is this ? " 

As though they would say : Here cometh a king ; but 
who is he? We do not recognize him. He has no claim 
to David's throne. He is not " The king of the Jews." 

Jesus knew that they would thus question his authority, 
and set aside his claim ; and because of this he had wept 
as he came in sight of the city, and said : 

"If thou haclst known, even thou at least, in this thy 
day, the things which belong unto thy peace ! " 

But they were ignorant, notwithstanding the prophets 
had declared that their king should come in the very 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



493 



The 

prophecy 

fulfilled. 



His 

genealogy 

easily 

traced. 



Mary. 
Joseph. 



Their 
genealogy. 



Through 
Solomon 
and 
Nathan. 



Jesus 

justified in 
claiming 
the throne. 
Cold 
reception. 

Kingly 

authority 

displayed. 



manner Jesus thus came ; for the prophet had said to 
them: "Behold thy king cometh unto thee, meek, and 
sitting upon an ass, a colt the foal of an ass." And so had 
answered their question, "Who is this?" long before it 
was asked. 

And, as he was of the royal line of David, his genealogy 
could be easily traced back to that head , in whose name 
the throne had been established. 

Mary, the mother of him who had thus come to claim 
the throne, was a direct descendant from David ; and Jo- 
seph, his supposed father, was a direct descendant from 
David, and the genealogy of both Mary and Joseph is pre- 
served ; that of one being given by Matthew, and the other 
by Luke. 

By this genealogy, we are informed that one of them de- 
scended from David, through Solomon, and the other from 
David, through Nathan. 

As Mary and Joseph finally united as husband and wife, 
Joseph's name, as the husband, is given at the end of each 
of these genealogical lines, according to Jewish custom 
in giving genealogy. Hence it was an easy matter for them 
to trace the genealogy of Mary's Son back to David, and to 
know that he was entitled to the throne. 

Jesus, the Christ, therefore, was justified in claiming the 
throne of David ; and notwithstanding the questioning of 
the Jews and their cold reception of his Royal Majesty, he 
displayed something of his kingly authority as he thus 
entered Jerusalem ; for he went into the temple of God, 
where he found those who were engaged in brokerage, in 
buying and selling, and making it a market, thus desecrat- 
ing that sacred place of worship, "and" "He . . . over- 
threw the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of 
them that sold doves ; 

" And said unto them : It is written, My house shall be 
called a house of prayer ; but ye have made it a den of 
thieves ; 

« ' And ... he made a scourge of small cords and drove 
them all out of the temple. 



494 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Its effect. 



A sign 
desired. 



Challenge. 



Abundant 
proof. 

Challenge 



Manifesta- 
tion of 
power. 



Jesus' 
question. 



His 
statement. 



Those who 
fall on the 
stone. 
Those on 
whom it 
falls. 



"And he said to them that sold doves, Take these 
things hence; make not my Father's house a house of 
merchandise." 

But " when the chief priests and scribes saw the won- 
derful things that he did, and the children crying in the 
temple, and saying, 

' ' Hosanna to the Son or David ; they were sore dis- 
pleased ; " and they said unto him : — 

"What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou 
doest these things?" 

Thus they continued to question his right, and chal- 
lenged him who was environed about with God's prophetic 
word, and whose lineage extended back to David, to 
produce evidence that he had authority to do these things, 
requiring a special sign to convince them. 

He knew that they had abundant proof of his right to 
the throne ; and yet, in answer to their question, he chal- 
lenged them, saying, "Destroy this temple," "and in 
three days I will raise it up." It was the sign, and the 
only sign that should be given unto them, — the sign of 
Jonah. 

But he did not wait for them to accept the challenge 
before he manifested his power in performing miracles, and 
in doing many mighty works ; and yet they would not be- 
lieve on him, nor consent to his coronation. 

When thus rejected, Jesus said unto them : 

" Did ye never read in the Scriptures : The stone which 
the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the 
corner ; this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in 
our eyes ? 

' ' Therefore I say unto you : The kingdom of God shall 
be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth 
the fruits thereof. 

' ' And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken : 
but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to 
powder." 

The Jew-nation-builders "rejected" the stone, and fall- 
ing upon it were broken, as a nation ; and from that time, 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



495 



Kingdom 
given to 
another 
nation. 



That 
nation. 



Jesus not 
frustrated. 



His 

responsi- 
bility. 

Destined to 
triumph. 



Seed of the 
woman. 
Christ that 
seed. 

His work 
to bo 
traced. 



His right 
to the first 
dominion. 

What the 
prophet 
had said. 



Jesus, the 
seed and 
heir. 
A work. 

The 
broken law 



The Kingdom of God, represented by the stone, was 
' ' taken from them and given to a nation bringing forth 
the fruits thereof ; " and since that time all people who 
have been willing to identify themselves with that stone- 
represented kingdom, by becoming loyal to the King, have 
had the privilege of doing so, and thereby they become 
the nation bringing forth those " fruits ; " but upon those 
who refuse to identify themselves with it, the stone is to 
fall at last, and "grind them to powder." 

Jesus Christ was not to be frustrated in his plans, nor 
prevented from occupying the throne, by the works of 
men. 

He was the long-promised Seed, and the one upon whom 
rested the responsibility of restoring the lost dominion ; 
and, though rejected by the Jews, he was destined to tri- 
umph at last, and to sway the sceptre of a kingdom that 
should stand forever. 

God had said that the seed of the woman should bruise 
the head of the serpent ; and Jesus Christ was that Seed ; 
begotten by the Holy Ghost, and born of the virgin Mary ; 
and we are prepared to trace him in his work, as he spoils 
the serpent's power, and opens the way to restore the 
long-lost dominion ; for he not only appeared as the heir to 
the throne of David, but also as the Seed, through whom 
all families of the earth should be blessed, and as the heir 
to the first dominion ; and, though the Jews had the power 
to reject him as their king, they could not affect his right 
to that first dominion, and to the throne of David. 

The prophet had said, in proof of this : — 

"And thou, O tower of the flock, the stronghold 
of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even 
the first dominion ; the kingdom shall come to the 
daughter of Jerusalem." 

Jesus Christ, as the seed of the woman, and heir to the 
throne of David, had a work to perform before he could 
occupy the throne and sway the sceptre over all nations, 
and over his own people. 

As we have seen, the law of God had been broken, and 



496 



THE WOELD'S GEE AT EMPIRES. 



Death. 

Earth 
cursed. 
God's law 
vindicated. 



Sin 
removed. 

The curse. 



This work. 



First, 
Christ 
must keep 
the law. 

The law of 
the first 
dominion. 



The law 
disap- 
proved. 

The result. 



Jesus must 
approve it. 

Must 
triumph. 

His first 
work. 



Led into 

the 

wilderness 



Forty- 
days' fast. 

Hungered. 



man had become a sinner ; death had followed as the re- 
sult, and the territory of the dominion had been cursed ; 
therefore that law must be kept, and God's justice vindi- 
cated ; the sin which broke up the harmony and made void 
the title to the dominion must be removed ; the power of 
death, its penalty, must be broken, and the incumbrance- 
curse must be lifted from the earth, before he could stand 
in the glory of his dominion, — the first dominion restored ; 
and we proceed to consider this work, and the process by 
which it is accomplished. 

First : — Christ must keep the law, " magnify " it, " and 
make it honorable,'' and so elevate it to its proper place and 
authority. Not the law of the Ten Commandments, but 
the broken law of the first dominion, and by the breaking 
of which that dominion was lost. 

Adam, in breaking that law, had made it appear that 
God had been unjust ; that He had given man a law which 
was too rigid, and which it was impossible for him to keep, 
and then punished him for breaking it. 

Therefore the law had been disapproved, and made to 
appear to be dishonorable, and all the responsibility of the 
transgression was thrown back upon God, unless one could 
be found who should vindicate the justice of the law, and 
prove the condemnation of the transgressor to be just. 

Jesus, therefore, must accomplish this, or he could never 
restore the lost dominion ; and in doing it he must triumph 
over Satan, the arch-traitor, who had tempted Adam and 
Eve to transgress ; and this was the first work of Jesus, 
when he came to years of his manhood. 

After being baptized of John in the Jordan, he " was 
led by the Spirit into the wilderness, to be tempted" — or 
tested — "of the Devil ;" and the first temptation brought 
upon him was of the same nature as that brought upon 
Adam in the garden of Eden, when he yielded and broke 
the law, which was to eat, contrary to God's command. 

Jesus " fasted forty days and forty nights," and "he 



was afterward an hungered, 



and his whole being de- 



manded food. 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



497 



The 

tempter's 
suggestion 



Trying 
circum- 
stances. 
Adam not 
hungry. 

Jesus' 
position. 



Meets the 
tempter. 



Satan 
baffled. 

Tries his 
art. 



On the 
pinnacle of 
the temple. 

The 

tempter's 
command. 



Jesus 
meets him 
again. 



Then " the tempter came to him," and said : — 

" If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones 
be made bread," thus tempting Him to eat; just as the ser- 
pent had tempted Adam in the garden, in the first domin- 
ion ; but this temptation was under much more trying cir- 
cumstances than that of Adam, for Adam was not hungry, 
that he needed to eat of the forbidden fruit, to satisfy the 
demands of nature. He had enough without it ; but Jesus 
was hungry and there was no food to supply Ilis need, un- 
less he did "make it" of "stones," which he had power to 
do, as the Son of God, which the Devil knew ; but if he did 
it at the suggestion of the tempter, and ate under such 
circumstances, he would fail to keep the law, which had 
thus been broken in the first place. 

But he did not do it : he met the tempter with the word 
of God, saying : — 

" It is written : Man shall not live by bread alone, but 
by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God." 

Baffled in his efforts in this direction, Satan thought he 
would try his art at quoting Scripture, and thereby accom- 
plish his design. 

' ' The Devil can quote Scripture ; but he always quotes 
it out of place" in order to lead people astray. He there- 
fore took Jesus " into the holy city," and placing " him on 
a pinnacle of the temple," said to "him, If thou be the Son 
of God, cast thyself 'down : for it is written ," — as though 
he would say, Thou art very careful to respect what " is 
written" — now "cast thyself down, for it is iv?ntten, He 
shall give his angels charge concerning thee ; and in their 
hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash 
thy foot against a stone." 

But Jesus knew that these words were not "written" to 
sustain him in obeying the Devil, and he therefore met 
him with another statement of what is written, which frus- 
trated the scheme of the tempter ; and he said again : " It 
is written, Thou shall not tempt the Lord thy God." 

' ' Then the Devil " — still bent upon the overthrow of 
the Great Eestorer — "took him up into an exceeding high 



498 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Offers 

another 

temptation 



Jesus bids 

Satan 

depart. 



He leaves 
him. 



Jesus 
triumphs. 



The next 
thing to be 
done. 



The most 
touching 
work. 



Race 
Doomed. 



Original 
sin, and its 
penalty. 



A remedy 
for sin, 
and how 
provided. 



mountain, and showed him all the kingdoms of the world, 
and the glory of them, and then he said to that Heir of Da- 
vid's throne, and Restorer of the lost dominion : — 

"All these tilings will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down 
and worship me." 

But while Jesus was interested to establish a kingdom, 
and to exercise authority over all nations, he did not pro- 
pose to reign as vassal to the Devil, as all the monarchs of 
earth had done. He therefore said: "Get thee hence, 
Satan ; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy 
God, and him only shalt thou serve." 

Then the Devil, the vanquished claimant of the throne 
of the first dominion, left him, and Jesus said afterward, 
concerning him : " The prince of this world cometh, and 
findeth nothing in me." 

Thus he triumphed over the tempter, and kept the law, 
magnified, and made it honorable, and proved that man 
was justly condemned, and also, in due time, that the pen- 
alty, death, properly held the man as its victim. 

The next thing to be done in order to restore the lost 
dominion was to remove the sin by which the title had 
been destroyed, and the whole race had been brought 
under the power of it. 

This brings us to the most touchingly interesting part 
of this work. 

Life had been forfeited on account of sin, and all the 
race of man was doomed to death, because of that Jirst 
transgression; for, "As by one man sin entered into the 
world, and death by sin ; so death passed upon all men, 
for that all have sinned." 

Therefore, the original sin and its penalty must be re- 
moved from the race, or none could prepare for citizen- 
ship in the dominion restored ; and the responsibility of 
accomplishing this work was upon Jesus. 

He must provide a remedy for the sin, and suffer the 
penalty which was upon the race ; and the time finally 
came when what had been represented by types and cere- 
monies, symbols and sacrifices, must be accomplished, and 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



499 



Jesus with 

his 

disciples. 

The 

passover. 



The Lord's 
supper. 
Geth- 
semane. 



Sorrow. 



Agonizing 
prayer. 



Shrinking 
from the 
bitter cup. 

Subrais- ■ 
sion. 



Question. 



Answer. 



fulfilled in him. As life had been forfeited by sin, and ' ' The 
life of the flesh was in the blood ; " therefore life, by the 
shedding of blood, by violent death, must be sacrificed, in 
order to satisfy the demands of the law, and open the way 
for the remission of sin ; and no blood — or life — could be 
sufficient but the blood-life which flowed in the veins of Him 
who had kept the law and made it honorable ; for He had 
righteousness above the race. 

Before making the demanded sacrifice, Jesus gathered 
with his disciples into an upper room, to eat the feast of 
the passover, — that feast which represented the great sac- 
rifice he was about to make. 

After the passover, which had been instituted to prefig- 
ure him as Our Passover, he instituted what has been 
observed by his people since as the Lord's Supper, and 
then " went out " . . . " unto a place called Gethsemane." 
There the burden of his mighty work "began" to press 
upon him, and he said to those who were with him : — 

" My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death" 

He then went forward a little farther and prostrated 
himself before God, and there, in the midnight hour, he 
prayed, saying : 

" O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass 

FROM ME." 

Three times he thus cried ; and, so great was his agony 
that "His sweat was, as it were, great drops of blood, 
falling down to the ground." 

Thus he shrank from the bitterness of the cup which he 
had prayed might pass; but after all he was able to say : 

"Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done;" and 
being strengthened by an angel, he went forth from that 
garden to drink the cup to its bitter dregs. 

But of what did the bitterness of that cup, which caused 
him such intense agony, consist ? 

Was it physical suffering alone which constituted that 
bitterness from which he shrank, and thus agonized to be 
delivered ? 

No ; the physical suffering of that ONE who was finally 



500 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



His burden 
and 

responsi- 
bility. 



Our 

iniquities. 
Bears our 

griefs. 



Mental 
agony. 

Mingled 
bitterness. 



His 
betrayal. 



Before the 
high priest 



False 
witnesses. 

Their 
testimony. 



Received 
by the 
Court. 



nailed to the cross, was but a small part of his burden and 
sorrow. 

He was not of" less courage than a martyr, and his mar- 
tyr-friends have met death undismayed. 

There was more than this to make his "soul sorrowful ;" 
the burden of the sins of the whole world rested upon him, 
and the awful responsibility of assuming to open a way out 
of the terrible condition into which the race had fallen on 
account of sin, was also upon him ; and he must open a 
way, or failure and eternal ruin must result. 

" On him" was " laid the iniquity of us all ; " and he, 
that sinless ONE, bore "our griefs and carried our sor- 
rows," and felt that he must provide a remedy sufficient to 
atone for all, by bearing " our sins in his own body on the 
tree." 

This terrible weight of responsibility produced a mental 
agony which was more bitter than the bitterness of physi- 
cal suffering ; therefore a mingled bitterness of physical 
pain and mental agony was in that cup from which he 
shrank, but which he consented to drink, that a world of 
lost men might be benefited, and given the opportunity to 
live finally in the Restored Dominion. 

As that burdened, suffering ONE came forth from his 
retreat in the garden where he had thus a^onizinc-lv 
prayed, he was betrayed into the hands of those who hated 
him, and had refused to own him as their king ; and he 
was then arraigned before the High Priest, where the 
scribes and elders had assembled. They had succeeded in 
finding two men who, to condemn him, were ready to take 
a false oath ; for those Jews, having rejected Christ and 
called him an impostor, wished to rid the country entirely 
of him. 

The two false witnesses stated that : 

" This fellow said, I am able to destroy the temple of 
God, and to build it in three days," — thus misconstruing 
his words. 

That court received this false testimony, and the high 
priest arose and said to Jesus : — 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



501 



Jesus 
questioned 
Refuses to 
answer. 

Placed 
under oath 



His 
position. 



His 

statements 

Reference 

to 

prophecy. 



That 

prophecy 

quoted. 



Familiar. 



The 

Pontiff's 
course. 
Appeals to 
the jury. 



" What is it which these witness against thee?" 

But Jesus refused to answer. 

Then the high priest said to him : — 

"I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us 
whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God," — thus plac- 
ing him under oath to state the truth, concerning his claim 
to be the anointed heir to David's throne, and to make him 
guilty of perjury and blasphemy, unless he recanted from 
his former position and declarations. 

But the royal Heir was undaunted ; and, respecting the 
oath, said, in his dignity, to that crownless leader of the 
Jews : — 

' ' Thou hast said : nevertheless I say unto you : — 

* ' Hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting on the 
right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven ;" 
thus reminding his opposers of that which was written in 
the prophecy of Daniel concerning the ONE whom they 
had rejected, and were seeking to destroy ; for that prophet 
had said : — 

" I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the 
Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to 
the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before 
him. 

" And there was given him dominion and glory and a 
kingdom, that all people, nations and languages should 
serve him ; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which 
shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not 
be destroyed." (Dan. 7 : 13, 14.) 

This prophecy was familiar to the High Priest ; but for 
Jesus to thus apply it, as he properly did, to himself, was 
more than that Pontiff could endure. He therefore rent 
his clothes, and said to that jury before whom Jesus was 
being tried : — 

1 ' He hath spoken blasphemy ; 

* ' What further need have we of witnesses ? 

" Behold now ye have heard his blasphemy." 

As though he had said : Ye know the requirements of 
our law, concerning one who blasphemeth ; now, — 



502 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



The 
verdict. 



No power 
to execute. 



They 
carry 
Jesus to 
Pilate. 



Their ac- 
cusations. 



Jesus 
refuses to 
speak. 



Pilate's 
course. 



Course of 
the Jews. 



Pilate's 
question. 

Their reply 



The 

responsi- 
bility of 
his blood. 



Jesus 
sentenced. 

In the 
hands of 
the 
soldiers. 



' ' What think ye ? " — when they immediately brought in 
their verdict, saying : — 

"HE IS GUILTY OF DEATH." 

But they had no power to execute him independent of 
the Roman government, as they were only tributary to 
that government. So they bound him and carried him to 
Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, to persuade him to 
pronounce the sentence of death upon the one who claimed 
to be their king. 

They not only accused him of blasphemy, because of his 
claim to be The Christ, but they accused him of treason 
against the Roman government, because of his claim to be 
a king over Judea, unappointed by Caasar. 

For they had said that, "Whosoever maketh himself 
king speaketh against Cassar." 

When Jesus was accused before Pilate, he refused to 
say anything in self-defence, which caused that governor 
to wonder ; and being deeply and solemnly impressed with 
the appearance of the accused ONE, Pilate sought to re- 
lease him ; but his malicious accusers were determined to 
accomplish their design, and to remove Jesus out of their 
way ; so they clamored for his death, and said : — 

< ' Let him be crucified ! " — Let him suffer as a crim- 
inal foreigner. 

But Pilate said : "Shall I crucify your king? " and they 
answered : — 

"We have no King but Cesar." 
Thus they prevailed upon Caesars representative to sen- 
tence Jesus to be executed, assuming all the responsibility 
of his execution themselves ; saying, as Pilate sought to rid 
himself of the responsibility of shedding the blood of that 
ONE, as he believed Jesus to be innocent, — 
" His blood be on us and on our children ! " 
Then, to satisfy the Jews, Pilate scourged Jesus, and 
delivered him over to be crucified ; and the soldiers, into 
whose hands he was given, took him into the common hall, 
and took off his garments, and put on him a scarlet robe, 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



503 



Derision. 
Mockery. 



Led away 

and 

crucified. 



Derided. 
The male- 
factors. 



One 

appeals 
for mercy. 



Asks to be 
remem- 
bered. 

Jesus' 
compas- 
sion. 



The 

moment of 
sacrifice. 



The Father 

turns 

away. 



braided a crown of thorns and pressed it upon his brow, 
and placed a reed in his hand for a scepter, all in derision 
because of his claim to be a king; and they mocked him, 
saying : — 

4 'Hail, King of the Jews !" 

After thus ridiculing him, they led him away to the 
place of execution, where he was stretched upon the cross, 
and the nails were driven through his hands and his feet. 
Then that cross was raised and let fall into a place chiseled 
in the rock to receive it, thus wrenching and tearing the 
flesh of that suffering Son of God ; and there, between two 
thieves, he hung, — 

" Three dreadful hours in pain." 

He was derided and abused ; and even one of the male- 
factors, in derision, challenged him to save himself and 
those who hung by his side. But the other, having re- 
pented of his sins, reproved his accomplice, and humbly 
appealed to Jesus for mercy ; and, expressing confidence 
in that Royal Heir to David's throne, and Restorer of the 
lost Dominion, he earnestly cried : — 

"Lord, remember me when thou comesT into thy 

KINGDOM." 

Jesus, having compassion on him, said: "I say unto 
thee to-day," — this day, above all others, — this day, when 
my prospects for a .kingdom are apparently blasted , even 
" to-day" — under these most trying circumstances, — " I 
say unto thee," " thou shalt be with me in Paradise." 

Thus that dying Restorer and King, pledged the dy- 
ing, penitent thief, that, when Paradise should be restored, 
and his Everlasting Kingdom should be established, he 
should be there to enjoy it. 

Finally, the moment came when the sacrifice of life must 
be accomplished. But Jesus could not die and the face of 
his Father beam, in its brightness, upon him. 

That Father must turn away his face, and give up his 
Son to die, or the required sacrifice could not be made. 
Therefore, when the awful moment came, God turned 



504 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Jesus' cry. 



Jesus 
expires. 



Crimson 

tide. 

A remedy. 



None can 
enter the 
kingdom 
without it. 



Not 

enough for 
him to die. 



awa}', an d left His Beloved to fall under that penalty, which 
had held the race so long. 

God thus gave up his Son to die for a lost race, and 
proved that He ' ' so loved the world that He gave his only 
begotten Son ; that whosoever believeth in Him might not 
perish, but have everlasting life." 

This turning away of the Father, and the hiding of his 
face from his Son, to give the world a sacrifice for sin, 
caused Jesus more agony than all he suffered beside ; and , 
as he thus drained from the cup of suffering its last bitter 
dregs, he cried aloud, in anguish : — 

" Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani ? '■ 

" My God, my God, why hast thou foesaken me?" 

As though he could bear everything else better than to 
have his Father turn away from him. 

But all this suffering, and even his death, was essential 
for a lost race ; and so he was forsaken of the Father, that 
a remedy for sin might be provided. 

Jesus expired. " He poured out his soul unto death ; " 
and thus a sacrifice was made by which " the sin of the 
world" was taken " away," and a " fountain " teas opened 
"for sin and uncleanness," in which all might wash and be 
clean. 

Therefore, in the rich crimson tide which flowed from 
his wounds, there is a remedy for sin ; and all who will 
accept that blood, and depend on Christ for salvation, can 
be made pure, and be morally fitted for citizenship in the 
Everlasting Kingdom. 

Independent of that precious blood, not one person can 
ever " enter into the kingdom of God ; " for, by it, the sin 
which first brought the curse upon the territory of the Do- 
minion, and the death-penalty upon the race of its citizens, 
is removed ; and all who have an inheritance in that Do- 
minion restored, must accept the means by which that 
restoration is accomplished. 

But it was not enough for Jesus to die, and by the 
" shedding of" his " blood " to provide the remedy for sin. 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



505 



Death 

reigns. 

Adam and 
his race. 



Jesus must 
break the 
power of 
death. 



Adam and 
his race 
under the 
penalty. 



Strong one 
must be 
found. 

Jesus 

strong 

enough. 

Thor- 
oughly 
prepared. 

Divinity 

and 

humanity. 



First 
Adam. 

Second 
Adam. 



It would be useless to attempt to remove the sin and 
still leave Adam and his victimized race in death, under 
that penalty, which made them powerless to forsake the 
ways of sin and seek a better way. 

Death reigned because of sin ; and in its dominion, the 
race was held in helplessness, — " without strength." 

Adam, by his transgression, not only entailed sin upon 
his race, but brought himself and his race under the power 
of death, which tyrannically held them in its iron grasp. 

So, in order to restore the lost dominion, Jesus must 
break the power of death, and liberate the captives, who 
who had been bound without individual responsibility, and 
thus reduced to strengthlessness, having no power to act 
for themselves, and before them no prospects but of the 
dark, gloomy prison-house of death ; thus placing them in 
a position where they could act with reference to the pro- 
vided sin-cure, and so decide whether they would accept 
of pardon and citizenship in the Restored Dominion. 

When God said to Adam : "Thou shalt surely die," He 
did not say how long he should continue under that pen- 
alty. But when under the power of death, Adam and his 
posterity were powerless to extricate themselves from it, 
and therefore they must remain in its grasp forever, unless 
some one could be found to break that power, and deliver 
them. But, unless some one could be found strong enousrh 
to break death's bands, all would be lost. 

But Jesus, the crucified One, was strong enough for the 
work ; and, though a victim of death himself, he was thor- 
oughly prepared to extricate himself from death, and to 
bring back a lost race from its power. . 

Divinity and humanity being combined in him, he had 
been able to keep the broken law, and was in a position, 
though suffering apparent defeat, to achieve a grand 
victory. 

The First Adam broke the law, and the penalty held him 
and his race ; but Jesus, the Second Adam, kept the law, 
and the penalty had no right to hold him, although it had 
seized him as its victim, and shut him up in the prison. 



506 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Not a 
trans- 
gressor. 
Numbered 
with them. 
Died a 
sacrifice. 

Adam con- 
demned. 
Christ 
justified. 



God's 
justice still 
vindicated. 



Jesus dead 



Shining 

one 

dispatched 



Jesus' 
resurrec- 
tion. 



Leads 

captivity 

captive. 

Old captive 
power. 
Jesus, 
master. 



His 
declaration 



Way open 
for a dead 
race to live 



He did not die a transgressor, although he was num- 
bered with the transgressors, and died as one of the death- 
doomed race. But he died a sacrifice for sin, that the 
transgressors might be released from bondage, and given 
the opportunity to repent, with the assurance of pardon, 
and life eternal at last ; and the same God who condemned 
Adam and his race to die, because of his offence, justified 
Jesus Christ and the race for whom he died, to live again, 
because of his righteousness. 

And the justice of God is still vindicated, in that He 
was as willing to release one from the penalty who had 
kept the law, as he had been to bring one under the pen- 
alty who had broken the law. 

Therefore, when Jesus had been dead three days and 
three nights, securely guarded in the tomb, God despatched 
a shining one from glory, who swiftly approached that 
prison-house of death, and rolled back the stone from its 
door, in the dignity of his angelic power, and quietly sat 
down upon it, to await the conquest of the Contestant for 
life. 

Then Jesus, as a victor, arose, and majestically stepped 
forth from the tomb, never again to come under the tyran- 
nizing power of death. 

He had attacked the enemy in his own dominion, and 
vanquished him. 

He therefore triumphed in his conquest, and " led cap- 
tivity captive." 

" The old captive power itself," being thus "taken cap- 
tive," Jesus stood as the master of the situation, and could 
say: — 

" I AM HE THAT LIVETH AND WAS DEAD, and behold I 

am alive forevermore . , . and have the keys of hell" — of 
hades, the grave — " and of death." 

Through death, Jesus conquered him that had the power 
of death, and opened the way for a dead race to live again ; 
and because of his resurrection the whole race has been 
released, and is to be raised from the dead, irrespective of 
individual work. 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



507 



Scripture 
quotations 



Solid 
foundation 



Firm 
foundation 



Conse- 
quences of 
refusing 
Christ. 



Probation. 
Life and 
death. 



Second 
death. 



Day of 
Judgment. 

The 

question of 

salvation 

settled. 



A special 
work of 
prepara- 
tion. 



Left to 

Christ's 

followers. 



" For, as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be 
made alive." 

" As by the offence of one judgment came upon all men 
to condemnation, even so by the righteousness of one, the 
free gift came upon all men unto justification of life." 

Upon this solid foundation, the resurrection of Christ, 
and through him the resurrection of all the dead, rests all 
the opportunity for people to prepare for future existence. 

The race -being thus redeemed from Adam, and released 
from the power of the old penalty for sin, and placed upon 
a firm foundation, every individual is given the opportu- 
nity to become loyal to him, who has thus circumstanced 
them, and, through the righteousness of faith in his blood, 
they can prepare before they go into the grave for citizenship 
in the Kingdom, which is finally to be established. 

But if they refuse to thus prepare themselves and choose 
to reject the King, and to trample his blood under their 
feet, they cannot enter that kingdom, but must die again, 
— " the second death." 

Therefore, each person is placed on probation. Life 
and death are set before all ; and those who choose to com- 
ply with the conditions of salvation, can live forever in the 
kingdom at last ; and those who refuse to comply with 
those conditions, must die that "second death," which is 
the penalty for personal transgression, and thus they be 
forever shut out of the kins-dom. 

Because of this arrangement, a day has been appointed in 
the which the world is to be judged in righteousness, when 
the question is to be settled forever who is to be saved in 
the Kingdom of God, and who is to be forever shut out 
from that Holy Realm. 

This great plan having been completed, a special work 
was to be done to prepare a people for citizenship in the 
kingdom which was in prospect of establishment. 

This work of preparation was to be left mainly to those 
who had been associated with Christ while he tarried on 
the earth, and with their successors, until the time should 
come when the kingdom was to be established ; and as he 



508 



THE WORLD'S GREA1 EMPIRES. 



A com- 
mission to 
ambas- 
sadors. 



Text of the 
commis- 
sion. 



Authority, 
and bill of 
instruc- 
tions. 



A grand 
promise. 



Personally 
away. 
Present by 
His Spirit. 



This com- 
mission 
the great 
authority. 

Its object. 



Gospel. 



Good news 
The king- 
dom ; its 
nature, 
location, 
means of 
establish- 
ment. 
Manner of 
qualifying 
citizens. 



was to "go away" he gave them a commission, and ap- 
pointed them as his ministers plenipotentiary, ''ambassa- 
dors " of his court. 

The text of that commission was : — 

" GO YE INTO ALL THE WORLD AND PREACH THE GOSPEL 
TO EVERY CREATURE, AND TEACH " disciple " ALL NA- 
tions, baptizing them in the name of the father, and 
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; teaching them 
to observe all things whatsoever i have commanded 

YOU. He THAT BELIEVETH AND IS BAPTIZED SHALL BE 
SAVED, AND HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT SHALL BE DAMNED." 

This was their authority and bill of instructions ; and, 
contingent upon their faithful observance of, and obedience 
to these instructions, he said : — 

" And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end 

OF THE WORLD." 

He was to "go away," and yet to be " with" them; not 
with them by his personal presence, for he was personally 
to be away ; but he was to ' ' send the Comforter, the Spirit 
of truth," to " abide with" them continually ; and thus He 
would " be with " them "by" his " Spirit," " unto the end 
of the world," although personally absent. 

This commission was, therefore, their great authority to 
"preach the gospel," and make disciples, or followers of 
Him who was their great Prince and Leader, that the hearts 
of the people might be turned away from that old rebellion, 
and from being the followers of Nimrod, — the rebel, — and 
his kingdom-builders, and become loyal to the true King 
and his Kingdom. 

Therefore this gospel which they were to preach was 
the — 

" Gospel of the Kingdom." 

Jesus had thus characterized it, because it was the Good 
News (as the word — gospel — signifies,) of the Kingdom, 
so, everything pertaining to the nature of this Kingdom, 
its location, the time and means of its establishment, and 
the manner in which people become qualified for citizens 
of it, and can be initiated into it, and thereby become fully 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



509 



The 

Apostles 
recognize 
their 
ambassa- 
dorship. 

Paul's 
declara- 
tion of this 
fact quoted 



" Ambas- 
sadors for 
Christ." 



Heart 

estrange- 
ment. 

To be 
turned to 
Christ. 



Loralty to 
Christ 

60Ught. 



Jewish 
Theocracy- 
broken. 

Uncalled 
privilege. 

Those 
"afar off," 
and"nigh" 



All nations 
to be 
discipled. 

Two con- 
ditions of 
the king- 
dom. 



established as the citizen-subjects of this great Ruler, — is 
called, the " Gospel of the Kingdom." 

The apostles recognized this ambassadorship, as is evi- 
dent from the declaration of Paul, when he said : — 

" All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to him- 
self by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of 
reconciliation ; 

" To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world 
unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them ; and 
hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 

" Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though 
God did beseech you by us ; we pray you in Christ's stead, 
be ye reconciled to God." (2 Cor. 5 : 18-20.) 

The estrangement of the hearts of men from loyalty to 
God, made it necessary that, first of all, their hearts should 
be turned to Christ, and that he should '■'■rule in their 
hearts ; " and therefore, those to whom the ambassadors 
were to " go," must be instructed how to live with true 
loyalty to this God-begotten King, while they remained in 
this world surrounded by rebels ; and finally, how they 
were to come to completeness of fitness for introduction 
into his Kingdom, by the marvellous methods of trans- 
formation, physically, — the resurrection, which he had 
devised and perfected. 

That old Jewish Theocracy having been broken down 
by those Jew-rejectore of the Messiah, and of his claims 
upon them, the broad guage of unwalled privilege was 
extended to "all nations," the "middle wall of parti- 
tion being broken down," — that "those afar off" — the 
Gentiles — and ' ' those that were nigh " — the Jews — 
might alike — on the same terms — come and be recon- 
ciled to that Messiah, and so consent that he " rule over 
them" all; they being alike "made nigh" "by his blood." 

And so all nations were to be discipled, baptized and 
taught ' ' to observe all things whatsoever " Jesus had 
" commanded." 

There were two states or conditions of this Kingdom, 
into which the subjects were to be introduced. 



510 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES 



The first, 
"this 
present 
world." 



The 

second 
condition, 
"the world 
to come." 



A likeness. 

The first, 
spiritual. 
No sym- 
bols of the 
first. 
Symbols 
borrowed 
from the 
second. 
The intro- 
duction 
into the 
second 
condition. 

Resur- 
rection. 

Baptism 
the 

symbol. 

Subjects. 

Initiatory 
rite. 



Buried in 
water. 

Raised. 

Its 

meaning. 
Death. 
Resur- 
rection. 

Raul's 
version of 
the matter, 
Rom. 6 : 
3-5. 

Christ's 
resur- 
rection. 



The first condition was "in this present world" when, as 
loyal subjects of the King, Jesus Christ, they were spirit- 
ually and morally to " walk in the newness of life," they 
being introduced into that state by faith in Christ, and by 
the initiatory rite of baptism. 

The second condition was to be in M the world to come" 
when, as loyal subjects, they should morally, and physi- 
cally also, walk in the new life, into which they were to be 
introduced by the resurrection, to " immortality and eter- 
nal life." 

There was a likeness between these two conditions. 

The first being of a spiritual or moral character only, had 
no outward semblances, or symbols, of its own, and there- 
fore must receive its characterizing expressions from the 
second, which was to be a literal and tangible condition ; 
and without which the first would be of no importance. 
Therefore the introduction to the second state beinsr the 
the resurrection, the introduction to the first state must 
have its outward manifestation, which must represent it, 
and prefigure the initiatory means of introduction into that 
other state. 

Baptism was therefore enjoined in the commission as 
the symbol and prefiguration of the resurrection ; and it 
was to be practised upon the subjects of the Kingdom in 
their initiatory ingress into the Church of Christ, which is 
the Kingdom in its preliminary, or first condition. So, 
those who decided to become subjects of Christ's Kingdom 
were to be buried in water as people are buried in the 
grave, and to be raised out of the water as the dead are to 
lifted out of the grave at last, so as to represent that, being 
brought by the sin of Adam into the grave, they w r ould, by 
the righteousness of Christ, be brought out of it through 
the resurrection, and so enter into the Kingdom. 

So the apostle Paul says, in his letter to the Romans : — 

" Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into 
Jesus Christ were baptized into his death ? 

" Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into 
death ; that like as Christ was raised from the dead, by the 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



511' 



Newness 
of life. 

" Planted 

and 

raised." 



Paul in 
Colossians 



Col. 3 : 1, 
2,3. 



"Dead." 
Life hid. 



Ministers 
plenipo- 
tentiary to 
baptize 
new-made 
subjects. 

The three 
names. 
Partner- 
ship. 
The 
Father, 
Son, 

and Holy- 
Ghost. 



Jesus' 
parabolic 
instruc- 
tions. 



glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in the 
newness of life. 

" For if we have been planted together in the likeness 
of his death, we shall be also, in the likeness of his resur- 
rection." (Rom. 6 : 3-5.) 

And, again, this same apostle taught these things to the 
Colossians, when he said : — 

" Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen 
with him, through the faith of the operation of God, who 
hath raised him from the dead. 

' ' And you being dead in your sins and the uncircum- 
cision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him." 
(Col. 2: 12, 13.) 

And he said further of that risen condition : — 

"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things 
which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of 
God; 

" Set your affections on things above, not on things on 
the earth ; 

" For ye are dead," — by nature in sin, and physically 
because of sin, — " and your life" — spiritually and physi- 
cally — " is hid with Christ in God. 

" When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall 
ye also appear with him in glory." (Col. 3 : 1-4.) 

These passages are sufficient to show why baptism was 
introduced. 

Therefore the commission instructed the servants of 
Christ, as ministers plenipotentiary, to "baptize" the 
newly made subjects in their first novitiate of espousal, — 
" baptizing" them in the name of the three who were in 
one grand partnership to do this work to its final comple- 
tion, — " the Father," who originated it ; " the Son," who 
worked out the plan and was appointed the ' ' Heir of all 
things" and the Ruler; and "the Holy Ghost," which 
was sent out by the Father as the power by which his 
work should be accomplished. 

Jesus gave his disciples further, instructions concerning 
their work and the nature of it, in parabolic utterances. 



512 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Most 
notable. 

Matt, 
chap. 13. 

" Sower 
and seed. 1 
Its 
meaning. 



" Grain of 
mustard 
seed," its 
meaning. 



" Leaven" 
'• bid in 
three 
measures 
of meal." 



Treasure 
hid in a 
field. 



The most notable of these utterances are found in the 
thirteenth chapter of Matthew, where we have the story of # 
" The Sower and the Seed," which represents the work 
of the ambassador and its results upon the people with 
whom he labors ; the seed being the word of the gospel 
message, and the different sorts of ground into which the 
seed falls, being the different receptions which his word 
receives; then, of "The wheat and the tares," which 
represents the spurious work of one who attempts to imi- 
tate the work of the true ambassadors, whom Jesus desig- 
nates as "an enemy," who would originate a different 
kingdom, and put into the field other subjects than his, 
who may resemble the true people, as tares — or darnel — re- 
sembles wheat. It also teaches how these spurious king- 
dom-subjects, — sown by the Devil, who claims to be the 
ruler of the world, and has adopted measures to establish 
himself in it, and to gather to himself loyal subjects who 
prefer his reign to that of the rightful ruler, — will be gath- 
ered like tares, and bound in bundles, and burned, as Jesus 
said would be, when he declared that " The Son of Man" 
would "gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend, 
and them that do iniquity." 

Then, that parable of the "grain of mustard-seed," 
and the growing of it into a tree, shows liow the Kingdom 
was at first projected, a small affair, in Eden, but that the 
fowls of the air, or human rulers with their governments, 
had taken possession of it. 

Then the « ' Leaven hid by the woman in the three 
measures of meal," represents the evil doctrines and influ- 
ences which have come in to permeate and destroy the 
people during the three dispensations of the Kingdom of 
Heaven while it is in its perverted condition, before it is 
cleansed and restored. 

So the " Treasure hid in a field," and one selling all 
he had and buying the field, represents Jesus himself, sell- 
ing his all, even his life, and becoming poor, that he might 
be the owner, by right of purchase, of all the Satan-usurped 
territory, and of the death-bound ones, who, being " hid" 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



513 



The net 
cast into 
the sea. 



The mer- 
chantman 
seeking 
for pearls. 



"What this 
illustrates. 



Its proper 
symbol. 



Appro- 
priate 
phrases. 



in the earth-field, were a treasure which he misrht brinsr 
out from the dust, and polish into the lustre of immor- 
tality. 

So, also, the " Net cast into the sea, and gathering 
fish of every kind," of which the good are gathered into 
vessels and the bad are cast away, represents the different 
results of the labor of Christ, and His ambassador-fisher- 
men catching men, who will all be dragged to the shore, 
where the "good" only will be gathered into vessels, and 
the bad will be "cast away," at the judgment ; when Jesus 
represented this separation shall occur, saying : — 

' ' So shall it be at the end of the world ; the angels 
shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the 
just." 

The parable, also, of the "Merchantman seeking 
goodly pearls," " who, when he had found one pearl of 
great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it," — 
represents the Kingdom in all its glory which Jesus 
" bought," " selling all he had" to buy it, as he did when 
he " bought the treasure hid in a field." 

All this illustrates the work to be done by Jesus and his 
ambassadors in that first state and condition of the Kino;- 
dom, which we notice has its proper symbol in the vision 
of Nebuchadnezzar in the stone cut out of the mountain 
without hands, which, during the period of its existence 
as a stone was to fit, people in the present time and state 
of the kingdom to dwell in it, when, having smote the 
image on the feet, that stone shall become a great moun- 
tain and fill the whole earth, when the Kingdom shall be 
consolidated, and stand in its glory forever. 

Therefore we see that the phrases, "The Kingdom of 
God," " The Kingdom of Heaven," as they are used in 
representing gospel work in the present time, are appro- 
priate as they apply to the " Kingdom of the Stone" — the 
Hegnum Lapidas, before it smites the image. 

But the time is to come when this stone is to smite the 
image on the feet, and " become " that " great mountain," 
and " fill the whole earth," or when the kingdom of Christ, 



514 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Kingdom 
of Christ 
to super- 
sede all 
others. 
Time, 
manner, 
character 
and 

location of 
it. 

The 

important 
question. 



What 
some say. 



Their 

theory 

examined. 

Reason- 
ings 

concerning 
the rolling 
stone. 



Where it 
com- 
menced. 

Its onward 
course. 



What to be 
expected. 



A look 
backward. 



represented by the stone, is to supersede all human gov- 
ernments, which are represented by the human-form- 
image. 

The time and manner in which this is to be accom- 
plished, and the character and location of this Mountain 
Kingdom, are to be considered as the closing theme of this 
lecture and of the course. 

The important question is : — 

When is the stone to smite the image upon the feet, and 
to become a mountain? 

Some tell us that it thus ' ' smote the image " when Jesus 
came on his mission to this world, more than eighteen hun- 
dred years ago ; and that, having come in contact with the 
image, that stone, which represents him and his Church, 
has been rolling down through the years of time, constantly 
increasing in size, and finally, that it will become large 
enough to fill the whole earth ; when all of earth's inhabit- 
ants shall have been converted and thereby gathered into 
one great Mountain Kingdom. 

But let us examine this theory, and see if it is correct 
according to the Bible. 

If the stone smote the image then, and commenced to 
roll and to increase in size, thus beginning to fill the earth, 
we wish to trace its rolling, increasing history, to see what 
progress it has made towards filling the earth. 

It must have commenced to roll, if it ever did, at Jeru- 
salem ; and we trace it as it rolled up through the country 
of Syria, over into Asia Minor, then across into Macedonia 
and Greece, then over to Italy and to Rome, then onward, 
northward, to Great Britain, and finally, across the ocean, 
to the Continent of America, as "the gospel" has been 
"preached" for over eighteen centuries; and it seems 
as if one would be justified in expecting that stone would 
now be so large that the earth must be nearly filled 
with it. 

But instead of this being true, we look back upon the 
territory where the stone commenced to roll (if it has thus 
been rolling) , and to those countries over which it rolled 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



515 



What is 
seen. 

Mission- 
aries. 



Skepticism 
in our 
country. 



No sound- 
ness in the 
rolling- 
stone 
theory. 



Smites on 
the feet. 



Feet and 
toes. 

Broken 
state. 



The God 
of Heaven 
sets up a 
kingdom. 



The stone 

and 

mountain. 

Symbol. 



first in its power, and we find heathenism in its darkness 
shrouding the people, or, at best, but nominal Christian- 
ity ; and we are obliged to raise money and send mission- 
aries back to those places where the gospel was first 
preached in its purity ; and while missionaries are faith- 
fully performing their work in those lands, and while God 
is blessing their labors, skepticism and infidelity are in- 
creasing in our own country to such an alarming extent, 
that if time should continue a few years longer, it is quite 
evident that in turn it will be necessary to send missionaries 
here, to get the people converted from heathenism. 

There does not therefore appear to be any soundness in 
the theory that the stone smote the image in the times of 
Christ's first advent, and that it has been rolling onward in 
its efforts to fill the whole earth, since that time. 

Beside, that stone " smote the image on the feet ," not on 
the legs. 

The " legs of iron," as we have seen, represent the Ro- 
man Empire in its strength and glory, in the midst of which 
Jesus Christ was born, and finally founded his Church. 

" The feet and toes," " part of potter's clay and part of 
iron," represent the broken and divided state of this Ro- 
man Empire, in the very last part of its history, to which 
point we have traced it, until we have seen that the mod- 
ern fragment-governments now in existence upon the ter- 
ritory of this once mighty Empire, are thus clearly repre- 
sented by "the feet and toes of the image," and they, 
therefore, are those on which this stone is to fall. 

Daniel says, after explaining "the feet and toes" to 
represent just such a state of things as now exists, that : — 

< ' In the days of these kings " — the fragment-govern- 
ments of modern times — "shall the God of heaven set up 
a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the king- 
dom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in 
pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand 
forever." 

Then, to show that this was represented by the stone, 
he said : — 



516 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



The time 
of the 
smiting. 



Questions. 



Literal 
events. 

John's 
description 
of the 
scene. 
Rev. 19: 
11-18. 



Heaven 
opened. 
White 
horse and 
his rider. 



His eyes. 

Crowns. 

Name. 

His 
vesture. 



"Word of 
God. 



< ' Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out 
of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces 
the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold ; the 
great God hath made known to the king what shall come 
to pass hereafter ; and the dream is certain, and the inter- 
pretation thereof is sure." 

The time, therefore, when the stone was to smite the 
image, was in the very last part of the history of the 
Fourth, or Roman Empire ; and that event cannot have 
been in the past, neither can it now be far in the future. 

Now the question is ,How is this work of smiting the 
image on the feet, to be done ? or, How is that, which is 
represented by the stone, to break down the governments 
represented by ' ' the feet and toes " of the image ? 

It must be by some literal event, which this smiting 
symbolizes. 

We have a vivid description of what corresponds with 
the smiting given in Rev. 19 : 11-18, when the royal Heir 
to David's throne, and the Restorer of the lost dominion, 
with his armies, comes in contact ivith the nations of this 
world, to fight the decisive battle, in which he shall conquer 
all his foes, and gain the supremacy over all nations, and, 
finally, establish the Fifth Empire, to "stand forever." 

John, in these verses, thus graphically describes the 
scene : — 

" And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse ; 
and he that sat on him was called 

Faithful and True, 
and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 

" His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were 
many crowns : and he had a name written, that no man 
knew, but he himself; 

4 ' And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood ; 
and his name is called 

The Word of God." 
(This is that same " Word" which "was made flesh," 
and " dwelt among" men, when Jesus was born, and thus 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



517 



Armies of 
heaven. 



Sharp 
sword. 



King of 
kings. 



Supper of 
the great 
God. 



Beast. 

Kings. 
War. 

Victory of 
the white- 
horse 
Kider. 



came to do the mighty work of atonement, preparatory to 
coming again, with his armies, at last.) 

' ' And the armies which were in heaven followed him 
upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 

" And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with 
it he should smite the nations [The " sword goeth out of 
his mouth" because he will "smite" by his word, and not 
by his hand"~\, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron ; 
and he treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath 
of Almighty God. 

"And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name 
written, 

"KING OF KINGS, AND LOED OF LOEDS." 

And John says further : — 

< ' I saw an angel standing in the sun ; and he cried with 
a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of 
heaven, 

" Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper 
of the great God ! 

" That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of 
captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of 
horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all 
men, both free and bond, both small and great." 

"And," he says, "I saw the beast, and the kings of the 
earth and their armies, gathered together to make war 
against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. 

" And the beast" (the beast of Eev. 13,) " was taken, 
and with him the false prophet" (the Mohammedan proph- 
et,) "that wrought miracles before him, with which he 
deceived them that received the mark of the beast, and 
them that worshipped his image. 

" These both were cast alive into a lake of fire, burning 
with brimstone, 

"And the remnant were slain with the sword of him 
that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his 
mouth ; and all the fowls were filled with their flesh." 

Thus JESUS CHEIST, THE KING OF KINGS AND 



518 



THE WORLD'S GEE AT EMPIRES. 



Van- 
quishes all 
foes. 

The stone 
becomes a 
mountain. 



Jesus. 
Coming in 
the clouds. 

When He 
comes. 



He is 
coming. 
Declara- 
tion of the 
angels. 



Rev. 1 : 7. 
Quotation. 



Matt. 25 : 
31-34, 41, 
46. 



LORD OF LORDS, is to vanquish all his foes, and break- 
ing down every beast-represented government, his stone- 
represented Kingdom " shall become a great mountain 

AND FILL THE WHOLE EARTH." 

He had reference to all this when he said to the 
Jews : — 

" Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the 
right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven ;" 
for this smiting of the intake and crushing of human <rov- 

o o o o 

ernments is to be accomplished when lie comes back to this 
earth, " in like manner as" he went away, when the disci- 
ples stood gazing after him as he ascended, until " a cloud 
received him out of their sight." 

His face has not yet been seen on earth since that part- 
ing scene ; but he is coming, according to the declaration 
of the angelic messengers, who were sent to instruct those 
astonished gazers and said : — 

"Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into 
heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into 
heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him 
go into heaven." 

In Rev. 1 : 7 we also read, in harmony with this angel- 
declaration : — 

"Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall 
see him, and they also which pierced him ; and all kin- 
dreds of the earth shall wail because of him." 

And, as evidence that when he thus comes he is to ad- 
just the affairs of this world and establish his Kingdom, we 
read : — 

" When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all 
the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne 
of his glory : 

' ' And before him shall be gathered all nations ; and he 
shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divid- 
eth his sheep from the goats : 

" And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the 
jjoats on the left. 

" Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



519 



Fifth 
empire. 



Mountain- 
kingdom. 
Its 
territory. 

Some 
object. 



Too gross. 
Why gross 



Pleasant to 
live here 
now. 



Effort 
made to 
prolong 
life. 
Attrac- 
tions. 



What the 
Poet sings. 



Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom pre- 
pared for you from the foundation of the world ; 

' ' Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, 
Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared 
for the devil and his angels : 

' ' And these shall go away into everlasting punishment : 
but the righteous into life eternal." (Matt. 25 : 31-34 ; 
41, 46.) 

Many other passages are in harmony with these, show- 
ing that thus shall " the Seed " of the woman and the royal 
Heir of David establish his Kingdom, 

The Fifth Great Empiee, 
which shall stand forever, as represented by the Great 
Mountain. 

This Mountain Kingdom is to occupy more territory 
than has been occupied by either of those Empires which 
have preceded it, for it shall "fill the whole earth." 

Some object to such a statement as this, as it represents 
Christ's Kino-dom as a literal one to be established on the 
material earth. They say that "such a kingdom is too 
gross," and that they " desire a better place than the earth 
for their future and eternal home.'''' 

But why should the literal Kingdom of Christ on the 
earth be considered a gross affair ? 

People usually think it a pleasant thing to live on the 
earth now ; and even those who express themselves as de- 
siring "abetter place" for their future abode, and who 
believe that they are to be wafted to a more genial clime 
as soon as they cease to live here, will use every means in 
their power to prolong their life, and on this old sin-cursed 
earth, thus proving that the earth has attractions for hu- 
man beings even now, w T hich all the imaginary beauties 
and gilded fancies of " a better place" cannot obscure. 

The poet sings : — 

*? There is a land immortal — ■ 

The beautiful of lands ; 
Beside its ancient portal, 
A sentry grimly stands ; 



520 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



He only can undo it, 

And open wide the door; 
And mortals, who pass through it 

Are mortal never more. 

" That glorious land is heaven, 

And death the sentry grim ; 
The Lord thereof has given 

The opening keys to him ; 
And at the time appointed 

A messenger comes down, 
To guide the Lord's anointed 

From cross to glory's crown. 

" Their sighs are lost singing, 

They're blessed in their tears, 
Their journey heaven-ward winging, 

They leave on earth their fears ; 
Death has for them no terrors, 

' "We welcome thee,' they cry; 
Defeated, they're victorious ; 

'Tis life, for them to die" 



People will 
shrink. 



Well they 
may. 
Death 
misrepre- 
sented. 
King of 
terrors. 



Dark 
prison. 



A mighty 
one and 
his work. 



Prison 
broken 
open. 



But, notwithstanding all this glowing description of 
death and heaven, people will shrink from that "sentry 
grim," and tremble at the thought of entering his wide- 
open door. 

And well they may thus shrink and tremble, because 
death is not what the poet represents it to be, — " the sen- 
try" who opens the door of heaven to let them in, and who 
" has," for them, " no terrors ; " — but death is " the king 
of terrors " (Job 18 : 14 ; 24 : 17) , and an enemy, by whose 
hand they are thrust into a dark prison, and are locked in 
where that enemy would gladly keep them in darkness, 
dampness, gloom and silence, forever. But he cannot do 
this; for, one day, One approached within his reach, 
whom he seized and thrust into his dark prison, bolting 
the door as though in great triumph, thinking that, with 
that One, he had secured all the race, and bound them 
under his power. 

But three days after his imprisonment, that One arose, 
" early in the morning," and, before "the sentry grim" 
was aware, he broke open the prison door, seized the 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



521 



Keys 
taken. 



Statement 
of the 
Victor. 



Flowery 
statements 
spoiled. 
Bible side. 



Jesus has 
the keys. 



" sentry," snatched the keys from his girdle, trampled 
him under his feet, and then went up on high, carrying 
" the keys" — "the opening keys" — with him, and called 
back triumphantly to John on Patmos, — 

" I am he that liveth and was dead ; and behold, I am 
alive forevermore, Amen ; and have the keys of hell and 
of death." 

This spoils the flowery sentiments of the poet ; but it 
presents the true, Bible side of the question ; and it is bet- 
ter to be supported by the sure Word of God, than to be 
allured by the fancies of a sentimental rhymer. 

Certainly it is more cheering to know that Jesus has the 
keys, than it is to think that " death" holds them still as 
a " sentry grim." 



Kingdom 
of Christ 
to be on 
the earth. 



A plain 
statement. 
Dan. 7 : 27 



Quoted. 



Rev. 11 : 
15. 

Quotation. 



The earth 
promised 
to 
Abraham. 



Gen. 13 : 
14-17. 



The Scriptures positively teach that the Kingdom of 
Christ and the home of the saints is to be on the earth , not 
only in this symbol of the mountain filling the whole earth, 
but in many passages the true doctrine is stated. 

A plain statement concerning the location of the King- 
dom thus upon the earth, is found in Dan. 7 : 27, where 
we read that : — 

' ' The kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the 
kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the peo- 
ple of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an 
everlasting kingdom, 'and all dominions shall serve and 
obey him." 

Again we read of this Kingdom, when it shall have 
been established, in Rev. 11 : 15 : — 

" The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms 
of our Lord and of his Christ ; and he shall reign forever 
and ever." 

Beside this, the earth was promised long ago to Abra- 
ham and his seed for an " inheritance forever." 

God appeared to that " Father of the faithful " in Ca- 
naan, " after that Lot was separated from him, and said 
unto him : — 

" Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where 



522 



THE WORLD'S GEE AT EMPIRES. 



Quotation. 



Abraham, 
heir of the 
world. 
His seed, 
Christ. 

Gal. 3 : 16. 
Quotation. 



Heirs with 
him. 



Gal. 3: 

26-29. 

Quotation. 



thou art, northward, and southward, and eastward, and 
westward. 

" For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, 
and to thy seed for ever. 

" And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth ; so 
that if a man can number the dust of the earth ; then shall 
thy seed also be numbered. 

" Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and 
in the breadth of it ; for I will give it unto thee." (Gen. 
13: 14-17.) 

Because of this promise, the apostle Paul speaks of Abra- 
ham as the "heir of the world'" " through faith," and his 
seed also with him ; and that faith-grasped seed was Christ, 
as we read in Gal. 3 : 16 : — 

" Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. 
He saith not, And to seeds, as of many ; but as of one, 
And to thy seed, which is Christ." 

Christ being the Seed to whom the promises were made, 
and the One who can legally heir the promised inheritance, 
He has given to all the privilege of becoming " heirs with 
him of the same promise " who will consent to become loyal 
to him here, and be initiated into his Kingdom while it is in 
its preliminary condition, according to the bill of instruc- 
tions. Those who are thus initiated, having put on Christ 
by baptism, are called by his name, and bearing his name, 
they are all reckoned as one in Him, and thereby as Abra- 
ham's " seed," and " heirs to" the promised inheritance. 

This is clearly taught by the ambassador, Paul, in Gal. 
3:26-29: — 

h For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ 
Jesus. 

" For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, 
have put on Christ. 

" There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond 
nor free, there is neither male nor female : for ye are all 
one in Christ Jesus. 

"And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, 
and heirs according to the promise." 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



523 



Many- 
passages 
containing 
the 
promise. 



Ps. 37 : 9. 
Ps.37: 11. 
Ps. 37 : 22. 
Ps.37: 29. 
Ps.37; 34. 

Matt. 5 : 5. 



Home of 
the saints 
on the 
earth. 

Nowhere 
else. 



Christ's 
dominion a 
curseless 
one. 



All, then, who are Christ's, are heirs of the world 
" through the righteousness of faith," and the promise to 
them is, that they " shall inherit the earth" and dwell 
therein forever, and enjoy it as their home. 

There are many precious passages in the Word of God 
where this promise is given for the comfort of the loyal 
waiting ones while they are still here. We notice some of 
them, which are as follows : — 

i t p or ev n doers shall be cut off: but those that wait upon 
the Lord shall inherit the earth." (Ps. 37 : 9.) 

" But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight 
themselves in the abundance of peace." (Ps. 37 : 11.) 

' ' For such as be blessed of him shall inherit the earth ; 
and they that be cursed of him shall be cut off." (Ps. 37: 22.) 

" The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein 
forever." (Ps. 37: 29.) 

" Wait on the Lord, and keep his way, and he shall ex- 
alt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off thou 
shalt see it." (Ps. 37 : 34.) 

" Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." 
(Matt. 5:5.) 

These passages clearly teach that the future home of the 
saints is to be on the earth ; and there is not one passage, 
from the first verse of the book of Genesis to the last in the 
book of Revelation, which teaches that their home, in the 
Kingdom of Christ, shall be anywhere else but on the 
earth. 

But after all, if the kingdom of Christ was to be estab- 
lished upon a quivering, groaning, thorn-bearing earth, in 
the midst of sin, sorrow, and death, people might reasona- 
bly say that the idea was ' ' too gross ; " but we remember 
that the Anointed One who is to reign in this Kingdom, 
has, in wearing a crown of thorns, secured the right to re- 
move that prickly annoyance from off the earth ; and, 
therefore his kingdom and dominion is to be a thornless, 
curseless one ; for, in wearing that mock-crown of cruel 
thorns, he proved that he suffered for a sin-cursed earth, as 



524 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



The curse 
to be lifted 



The Fifth 
Empire on 
the New 
Earth. 



God's 
declara- 
tion to 
Moses, 

Num. 14 : 
11. 



Ps. 72 : 
19. 



18, 



Isa. 65 : 17 



2 Pet. 3: 
13. 



really as for a lost race; and the time is coming when this 
groaning, decaying earth shall be relieved of its long- 
borne burden. 

The encumbrance-curse is to be lifted at last, and all its 
sad effects to be removed forever, and the earth shall ap- 
pear in its primeval beauty and glory, and stand as the 
territory of His Kingdom who ' ' sold all He had and 
bought" this " world"-" field." 

The Fifth Empire, therefore, is to be established upon 
this " New Earth," when Christ, the Seed of the woman, 
and Heir to theDavidic throne, shall have restored the lost 
dominion. 

The Word of God gives abundant proof of the fact that the 
earth is to be renewed, according to the statements we have 
made, and, in its renewed condition, that it is to exist glori- 
ously under the reign and dominion of Jesus Christ forever. 

Long before Jesus came at first, God made a declaration 
to Moses, saying : — 

" x\s truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the 
glory of the Lord." (Num. 14 : 11.) 

The Psalmist says, further : — 

" Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only 
doeth wondrous things. 

" And blessed be his glorious name forever : and let the 
whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen." 
(Ps. 72: 18, 19.) 

Again, God says, through his prophet Isaiah : — 

" Behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and 
the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind." 
(Isa. 65: 17.) 

And Peter, upon the strength of these promises, after 
describing the great dissolving which we shall soon no- 
tice, and in connection with which the earth itself is to be 
melted, says, with joy : — 

"Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for 
new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteous- 
ness." (2 Pet. 3:13.) 

Finally, John, upon the Isle of Patmos, had in 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



525 



Rev. 21 : 1. 



These 
sufficient. 



Some 
object. 



Statement 
of a 
minister. 

Too 
expensive. 



$3.85 an 
acre. 



God able 
to meet the 
expense. 



Something 

more 

powerful 

than 

money 

necessary. 

2 Pet. 3 : 
10. 

Elements 
melt ; 
earth also. 



" Burn to 

the lowest 
hell," 
Deut. 32 : 
22. 

Edenic 
beauty. 



vision a view of the saints' eternal home, and he said 
of it : — 

' ' I saw a new heaven and a new earth : for the first 
heaven and the first earth were passed away ; and there 
was no more sea." (Rev. 21 : 1.) 

These passages are sufficent to prove that the Kingdom 
of Christ is to be on the earth renewed. 

But some object to this renewal of the earth, and say 
that these statements quoted must be understood in a spir- 
itual or figurative manner, and cannot therefore be taken 
in a literal sense. A man, a professed minister of the 
gospel, said, on a certain occasion, that "it would be alto- 
gether too expensive an undertaking to renew this earth, 
and fit it up for the abode of the saints, according to the 
description." He said: "I have carefully examined the 
matter, and estimated the expense as closely as possible, 
and at the least calculation, it would cost three dollars and 
eighty-Jive cents ($3.85) an acre to fit it up." 

But suppose it should cost three dollars and eighty- 
five cents an acre to renew this earth ; is not the God of 
heaven, who says, "The gold and silver are mine, and 
the cattle upon a thousand hills," able to meet the expense ? 

We think he could do it without becoming bankrupt. 

But dollars and cents are not to be brought into the 
account. 

This earth, upon .which the curse has rested, until from 
centre to circumference it has become marred and shaken, 
requires something more powerful than money to fit it for 
the abode of the saints. 

Therefore, as Peter says : — 

"The elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth 
also, and the works that are therein shall be burned up." 

And then, when the purifying fires of the last great day 
have been kindled upon this earth, and shall " burn to the 
lowest hell," every vestige of the curse shall be destroyed, 
and forth from that melted mass shall come the New 
Earth, blooming in Edenic beauty. 

Then, when the territory shall have thus been fitted 



526 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Metropolis 
necessary. 

Other 

empires. 

Essential 
feature. 

A city 
prepared, 
Heb. 11 : 
16. 

Abraham 
looked for 
it. 

Heb. 11 : 
10. 

New- 
Jerusalem, 
Rev. 3: 12 



Builded in 
heaven. 



Comes 
down, 
Rev. 3 : 12 

John sees 
it. 



Descrip- 
tion, Rev. 
21 : 2, 3. 



Descrip- 
tion of the 
city. 



Its wall. 
12 gates. 
12 angels. 



Names of 
the 12 
tribes. 



up for the establishment of the Fifth Empire, a grand 
metropolis will be necessary to make the Empire com- 
plete. 

All the other Empires we have considered have had 
their capital cities, and this Empire is not to be destitute 
of that essential feature ; and so " a city " has been ' ' pre- 
pared" which is to stand as the grand capital of this Fifth 
Empire. 

Abraham believed this, and " looked for" it as "a city 
which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God." 

This City is 

The New Jerusalem, 

in contrast to, and yet in comparison with the old Jerusa- 
lem, the capital of the old Davidic Kingdom, which was a 
type of this City and Kingdom. 

This Fifth-Empire-Capital is builded in heaven ; and 
when the territory is prepared to receive it, this God- 
builded City is to " come down out of heaven from . . . 
God." 

John, in his vision on Patmos, saw this City when thus 
coming down to stand on the New Earth , and he describes 
the scene as follows : — 

" I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down 
from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for 
her husband. 

" And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying : — 

" Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will 
dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God 
himself shall be with them and be their God." 

John (in Rev., chaps. 21, 22) describes the material of 
construction, the dimensions and glory of this City, as it 
will finally appear. 

He tells us that this City " Had a wall, great and high, 
and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels." 

Then, he not only mentions the angel gate-keepers, but 
states that on the twelve gates were ' ' written " the names 
of the " twelve tribes of the children of Israel." 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



527 



Arrange- 
ment of the 
gates. 



Material of 
the wall. 

Founda- 
tions 
garnished. 

The names 
of the 
precious 

stones. 

Pearly 
gates. 



The city 
measured. 



Its dimen- 
sion. 



No temple. 



Well 
lighted. 



No sun 
needed. 
Lighted 
with glory. 



Metropolis 
of the 
saved. 



These twelve gates were arranged on the four sides of 
the City, thus : — 

' ' On the east three gates ; on the north three gates ; on 
the south three gates ; and on the west three gates." 

He says, further, that " The building of the wall of it 
was of jasper," and that "the" "twelve" "foundations" 
of the wall . . . were " garnished with all manner of pre- 
cious stones." 

These precious stones are, Jaspee, Sapphiee, Chalce- 
dony, Emeeald, Saedonyx, Saedius, Cheysolite,Beeyl, 
Topaz, Cheysopeasus, Jacinth, and Amethyst. 

The gates, he says, were pearls, and that " every sev- 
eral gate was one pearl, and the street of the city was pure 
gold, as it were transparent glass." 

The angel who "talked with " John had a golden reed to 
measure the City ; and, as he measured it, that interested 
Seer noted the dimensions, and has given them. He says : — 

" The city lieth four square, and the length is as large 
as the breadth." It measured 12,000 furlongs. "The 
length and the breadth and the height of it are equal." 

After describing this City in its stateliness and magnifi- 
cence, he says, further: — 

" And I saw no temple therein," — no place of worship, 
— "for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the 
temple of it." 

This City is to be well lighted ; far better than the elec- 
tric-lighted cities of which men are now boastinsr. John 
said : — 

It " had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shme 
in it ; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is 
the li^ht thereof." 

Sunlight is better now than all other light ; but the light 
of that City will transcend the sun. 

The light of the glory of God and of the Lamb will be 
so brilliant that the sunlight will pale in it as now the elec- 
tric light pales in the sunlight. 

This grand City will be the metropolis of the saved, and 
they shall enjoy its advantages forever. 



528 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



They walk 
in its light. 



Well 
furnished. 



Defiling 

things 

debarred. 

Proof. 



City 
govern- 
ment pure. 



The city 

well 

watered. 



Groves. 



Tree of life 



Restored 
dominion. 



No more 
curse. 



John says, therefore : — 

' ' And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in 
the light of it." 

It is also to be well furnished with all the elements of 
greatness which the capitals of the nations of human rule 
have had, and which earthly rulers have enjoyed ; for 

* ' The kings of the earth " are to < ' bring all their glory 
and honor into it." 

But all defiling things shall be debarred, notwithstand- 
ing the gates are always to stand open ; for : — 

' ' There shall in no wise enter into it anything that de- 
fileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh 
a lie ; but they " only ' ' which are written in the Lamb's 
book of life." 

The City government will be more pure, therefore, than 
any human city governments have ever been ; for into all 
the cities of the nations of this world, those who "work 
abominations " have entered to defile and degrade the gov- 
ernment. 

This City is also to be well watered, as John tells us 
that his angel-guide ' ' showed " him ' ' a pure river of the 
water of life clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne 
of God and the Lamb." 

Groves of that tree which was at first in Eden, and from 
which Adam was thrust away by the "flaming sword," 
shall be there also ; for he says : — 

"In the midst of the street of it," — of the City, — 
" and on either side of the river, was there the tree of 
life," — the woods of the tree of life, — ' ' which bear twelve 
manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month ; and 
the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." 

Thus the enraptured seer of Patmos describes the finally 
established City and Restored Dominion ; then looking out 
upon its perfected beauty, and feasting his eyes upon its 
glory, he declares : — 

" There shall be no more curse : but the throne of 
God and the Lamb shall be in it ; and his servants shall 
serve him. 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



529 



Fifth 
empire 
established 
Its citizens 



In the 
grave. 

Not 
forgotten. 

lThess.3: 
16, 17. 



All classes 
come forth 
to judg- 
ment. 



John 5 : 
28, 29. 



' ' And they shall see his face ; and his name shall be in 
their foreheads, . . . and they shall reign forever and 
ever." 

Thus this Fifth Empire is to be established, and stand 
in its glory forever ; and its citizens will be those who have 
been gathered " out of every kindred and tongue, and peo- 
ple, and nation," and have become loyal to Christ, while 
his ambassadors have been engaged in persuading men 
to become reconciled to God. 

Many of those who have been initiated into this King- 
dom in its preliminary condition, have gone down into the 
grave, to await the glad morning of triumph to their King ; 
and they will not be forgotten, — 

< ' For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with 
a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump 
of God ; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 

" Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught 
up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in 
the air ; and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 

Those who have been interested in the establishment of 
human governments have often fallen on the field of battle ; 
and when their rulers have triumphed in their empires, and 
peace has prevailed, they have not been permitted to enjoy 
it ; but those who have been interested in this Empire, and 
have fallen while laboring to promote the interests of its 
Ruler, shall live again, to enjoy it forever ; for their King 
"will raise them up "to enter into his Kingdom, at his 
comino;. 

Not only are the dead in Christ to be raised, but all 
classes of men are to be brought forth to the Judgment 
which is to precede the establishment of this final and 
Eternal Kingdom. 

So, — " The hour is coming, in the which all that are in 
the graves shall hear his voice, 

" And shall come forth ; they that have- done good, unto 
the resurrection of life ; and they that have done evil, unto 
the resurrection of damnation." 

When this event transpires there will be the final sep- 



530 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Final 
separation. 



Rebels 
to be 
executed. 



The 

execution, 
Luke 19 : 
27. 



Matt. 13 : 
41. 

Subjects 
welcomed, 



Matt .25 : 
34. 

Matt. 25 : 
43. 



Blessed 
condition. 

Immor- 
tality. 



Isa. 23 : 24 



Rev. 21 : 4 



Christ's 

perfect 

victory. 



aration of "the wicked from among the just;" and when 
the dividing line has been drawn between those who have 
served God and those who have not served him, then every 
rebel against God and his Son Jesus Christ is to be exe- 
cuted, — punished with capital punishment, — and thereby 
brought under the dominion of the " second death," from 
which there is no redemption. 

Jesus himself, in referring to this time, tells us how the 
King will summon these rebels to execution, and say to his 
angel-executioners : — 

4 ' Those mine enemies which would not that I should 
reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me." 
(Luke 19: 27.) 

When he shall send forth his angels to do this work, and 
thus to " gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, 
and them which do iniquity," then the King will welcome 
to his Kingdom all who have submitted to him, saying to 
them, as they stand on his " right hand," — 

" Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom 
prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 

' « Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the 
Kingdom of their Father." 

There their condition will be blessed without check or 
restraint. 

Clothed with immortality, they will live as long as God 

himself lives, where : — 

"Sickness and sorrow, pain and death, 
Are felt and feared no more." 

For we read, that the inhabitants of that land "shall not 
say, ' I am sick.'" 

To make this happy state complete, "God shall wipe 
away all tears from their eyes ; and there shall be no more 
death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any 
more pain ; for the former things are passed away." 

When this Empire shall have been established, then 
Christ will have gained complete and perfect victory over 
every foe, and the universe of God will be rid of everything 
which is contrary to his will and rule ; for we read : — 



TEE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



531 



Satan 
bruised. 



Gen. 3 : 15. 



No end to 

Christ's 

kingdom. 

The bodies 
of his 
people. 



Time ap- 
proaches. 

Jesus soon 
coming. 

Nations 
preparing. 

Smiting of 
the image. 



Condition 
of the 
world, in 
poetic 
language, 

by 

Horatius 
Bonar. 



The poem. 



" The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet 
shortly," which will be the fulfillment finally, of that threat 
to the serpen c [Gen. 3 : 15] , that "The seed of the woman" 
should " bruise" — crush — his " head ;" and so Satan and 
all his followers will have been destroyed, and all the sad 
effects of sin will have been removed, and Christ will reign 
in this Restored Dominion, forever; "And of his King- 
dom there shall be no end ; " and his literal, tangible, im- 
mortal people will "have bodies like his glorious body," 
and be privileged to walk the golden streets of that New 
Jerusalem City, and to roam the fair fields of the Eden 
earth forever. 

And now the time is approaching when this Kingdom is 
to be established ! 

Jesus is soon coming to crush the nations of earth, and 
they are now preparing themselves for the decisive battle 
which is approaching ; and every day brings us nearer to 
the moment when ' ' the stone " is to " smite the image on 
the feet," breaking down all earthly governments, and then 
arising in grandeur to " become a great mountain and fill 
the whole earth." 

The condition of the world just prior to this coming and 
reign of Christ, with the glorious appearing of our Lord, 
is graphically described, with intensified and almost in- 
spired language, in a poem recently written by Horatius 
Bonar, D.D. 

We quote it because of its graphic portraiture of the 
wonderful events described. The poem was written for 
the Christian at Work, and is entitled, — 



THE DAY OF THE LORD. 



He says : 



" The Day op the Lord, it cometh!— 

It comes, like a thief in the night; 
It comes, when the world is dreaming 

Of safety, and peace, and light : 
It cometh — the day of sackcloth — 

Of darkness, and storm, and fire: 
The day of the great avenging, — 

The day of his burning ire. 



532 THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 

"Not slowly, slowly, like twilight; 

Nor, like the cold, creeping tide, — 
Or bark, from its distant offing, 

Moving on — o'er the waters wide. 
But instant ! like sudden lightning, 

In the depths of a tranquil sky, — 
From west to east, — in a moment 

The havoc descends from on high. 

"The Day of the Lord it cometh 

When the virgins are all asleep, 
And the drunken world is lying 

In a slumber yet more deep : 
Like the sudden lurch of the vessel 

By night, on the sunken rock ; 
All earth in a moment reeleth, 

And goeth down with a shock. 

" The voice of the awful trumpet 

Arresteth the march of time : 
With terror, and woe, and judgment, 

It soundeth, through every clime. 
It speaketh aloud to the living ; 

It speaks to the slumbering dead; 
Earth heareth the final summons, 

And boweth the trembling head. 

'•The flash of the sword of havoc, 

Foretelleth the day of blood, 
Revealing the Judge's progress, 

The downward march of God : 
The fire which no mortal kindles, 

Quick seizes the quaking earth, 
And, labors the groaning creation, 

In the pangs of its second birth. 

" The day of evil it endeth ; 

The righteous reign comes in : 
Like a cloud of sorrow, evanish 

The ages of human sin. 
The light of the morning gleameth ; 

A dawn without cloud, or gloom : 
In chains lies the ruler of darkness, 

And the Prince of Light is come." 

Word What a word-painting is this of the present times and 

pamtmg. .... 

the catastrophe which awaits the world ! 

To many this is not so, for they do not see it ; but Bonak 
and others see it, and to all such it is evident that — 



THE FIFTH EMPIRE. 



533 



Flash 
frequent. 



Storm 
cloud more 
terrible. 



About to 
burst. 



Hero of 
the fifth 
empire. 



His title. 

Duration 

of his 
kingdom. 

Great 
question. 



Time for 
the un- 
saved to 
tremble. 
God's 
prepared 
people. 



Faith-Ark. 

Purity of 
heart. 



Holiness. 



Conclusion 



1 ' The flash of the sword of havoc " 
is frequent now, and more and more it lights up the angry 
storm-cloud of war, which indicates not only the coming 
storm, but the approach of our coming King. 

That storm-cloud which has been hanging over the na- 
tions of the old world so long is constantly becoming more 
terrible. These sharp and vivid flashes of the lightning, 
and the increased mutterings of the thunder, indicate that 
the long-gathering storm is about to burst, and spend its 
fury on these doom-awaiting nations ; and, when it does 
burst at last, the Hero of the Fifth Empire will make his 
appearance, at the head of the " armies of heaven, on white 
horses," and, vanquishing every foe, He, 

"THE KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS," 

shall establish his own Eternal Kingdom, " and it shall 
stand forever." 

In view of all this, the great question which overshadows 
all others, and sinks everything else into insignificance, is — 

Are we ready for that event ? If ever there was a time 
when one should tremblingly ask, 

What must I do to be saved? it is now. 

If the stamp of an earthquake aroused a jailor to ask this 
question with the deepest concern, men should be aroused 
to ask it now that God is about to "shake," "not the 
earth only, but also heaven." 

It is time for the unsaved to tremble with anxious fore- 
bodings, lest they be finally left out to perish. 

And even God's professed people — those claiming to 
be citizens of that coming Kingdom, should "examine 
themselves whether they be in the faith ; " for soon such 
an examination will be unavailing to those who are not se- 
cured in that Faith- Ark of Refuge. 

Only purity of heart can fit us for that solemn hour, — 
for the destinies that wait upon it. 

" Without holiness no man shall see the Lord." 
We therefore conclude by urging upon all to seek refuge 



534 THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 

in Christ, if they have not already found it ; and to become 
loyal to him before the day comes when they shall pray to 
be hidden from his face and shielded from his wrath, — 
" when he shall arise to shake terribly the earth." 

Those who have yielded all to Christ will be ready ; and 
when he comes they will say, — 

" Lo, this is our God ; we have waited for him, and he 
will save us." 
Isa. 33: 17 Then, beholding "the King in his beauty," they shall 
rejoice in his presence forever. 

The morning of the New Creation will then have dawned, 
and the eternal day of bright glory will have been ushered 
in, and, — 

When that bright, eternal morning, 

Dawns at last in glory rare ; 
And the earth, in rich adorning, 

Feels the breath of God's pure air ; . 
When, upon its surface beaming, 

Stands that City, bathed in light, — 
Light, which through its portals gleaming, 

Scatters all the shades of night ; — 
Then, amidst the throng immortal, 

May ive stand in glory bright ; 
And within the pearly portal, 

"Walk with" Jesus Christ " in white." 

' ' Now unto Him that is able to keep you from 
falling, and to present you faultless before the 
presence of hls glory with exceeding joy ; 

" to the only wise god our saviour, be glory and 
majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. 
Amen." 



THE WORLD'S 



GREAT EMPIRES: 



-A. DPOIEIls/i:. 



BY 

L. C. McKINSTRY. 

AN ADDENDA TO THE FOREGOING LECTURES. 



Alter ego et Ego. 
Haec ohm meminisse juvabit. 



BOSTON, MASS: 
1883. 



COPYRIGHTED 

By L. C. McKINSTRY, 

JS83. 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 



W. Kellaway, Book Printer,. 14 & 15 Dock Square, Boston. 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



A POEM. 



Babylon. 

Nebuchad- 
nezzar. 



Plains of 
Shinar. 



Nimrod, 
Gen. 10 : 
9,10. 

Nebuchad- 
nezzar, 
Dan. 4 : 29 



The 

hanging 
gardens 
and gates 
of brass. 



Dan. 4: 29 



Dan. 4 : 30 
Men boast. 



They 
greater 
than their 
works. 



I.— BABYLON. 

That ancient city — old Babylon — 
Whose king — all the crowns of earth had won, — 
Was magnificent, marvellous, wondrous, grand : 
Unequalled in all that Orient land. 

It stood on the plains of Shinar — where 
Its glories shone — like jewels rare : 
With its massive walls — its towers hio;h — 
Uplifted against the vaulted sky. 

That ' * Nimrod — The Mighty Hunter " — placed 
Its corners first — and its wall-lines traced ; 
Then came he — Nebuchadnezzar — and raised 
Those palaces men have always praised. 

He hung those gardens ; — those gates of brass 
That into those streets no foe might pass, 
He placed in the walls — and every where 
He garnished that city with jewels rare. 

Then his soul was full of a swelling pride, 

And he lifted up his voice and cried — 

As its turrets and battlements, sunlit, shone — 

" Is not this the Great Babylon I built and I own.'" 

He boasted : — but men thus boast on still, 

Of their works — artistic-scientic skill ; 

But more wondrous, while they boast, are they, 

Than their ivories — which, boastingly, they display. 



4 

Gen. 2 : 7. 



David's 
admission. 



Ps. 

14. 



139: 



Man made 
of dust, "a 
living 
soul," 
Gen. 2: 7. 



Rom. 5 : 
12. 
Gen., 
chap. 3. 

Gen. 3: 19 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 

For the God who made them — living things, — 
With their hidden powers — self-moving springs, 
Has their ivorks transcended — they may see 
That never had they such skill as He. 

Thus, David : — " Sweet singer of Israel ; — 
When in his self-presence he stood, to tell 
Of the work which, inspective, he surveyed : — 
" Fearfully, wonderfully, I am made." 

God had made man of dust zmblemished all — 
The fine red dust — all lifeless, small ; 
But he " made him a living," sentient " soul," 
With power himself to well control : 

And ' ' sin came " soon — and ' ' death by sin ; " 
To the Eden-garden it swift came in ; 
And man, God's " image," thus, wondrous made, 
In ruins falls — in the dust is laid. 



Though still the vestage of what he was, 
And proof of the Great Creating Cause, 
He falls below his first grandeur, now, 
And an iron death-crown is on his brow. 



Man 

decays. 

Fades like 
a flower, 
Job 14 : 2. 



Boasting 
princes fall 



Monu- 
ments 
decay. 



So this earth-mould wonder-made man decays, 
His glory dims — like the brightest days ; 
Fades — as the gorgeous, fragrant flower 
Fades in a brief, sun-scorching hour. 

So princes, who boast of their wide domain, 
Fall — never their thrones to ascend again ; 
.Descending, they lay their diademed head, 
Imperial — low with the Peasant dead. 

What though towerino; marbles tell 
Their name and greatness — where they fell — 
Their deeds of valor, — yet it shall all — 
That monument pile — shall — crumbling, fall. 



A POEM. 



Ages 
obliterate 
all traces of 
sepulchre. 



And the ages, remorseless, shall roll their wheels, 
Over the place which the form reveals ; 
Till the trace-lines, rolled out, disappear, 
And no legend say — A King lies here. 



Nebuchad- 
nezzar's 
reign ends, 
and others 
reign to 
Belshazzar 



So Nebuchadnezzar : — then others reigned, 
Who after him that high-throne gained ; 
Till at last Belshazzar took the throne, 
With "a thousand lords " his sway to own. 



Evil 
Merodach. 



Neriglissar 

Laboroso- 
archod. 



Next Nebuchadnezzar, was Evil-Merodach, 
Who of evil did never know any lack ; 
Then Nerriglissar ; — then, next Mm came 
Laborosoarchod, with his long-spelled name. 



Belshazzar 
Cyrus' 
army. 
Trench. 



Belshazzar reigned — but a fatal day 

Came — when Medes and Persians marched that way ; 

And digged around Babylon — deep and wide, 

To turn the Euphrates' broad, deep tide. 



Belshazzar 
defiant. 



20 years' 
provision. 



But that young king, haughty, defiant, dared 
Those hosts invading — fullsome he fared. 
" I've enough," he cried " for twenty years ; 
No place have I here for low-born fears." 



Makes a 
feast. 
Dan. 5 : 1. 

Choice 
dainties. 



So he made a feast. It was costly, all. 
Naught lacked he ; — there came at his lordly call 
Whatever he would: his dainties — wine, 
Were the richest store — the choicest vine. 



To his 
lords. 



They feast. 



In the 
midst of 
the feast. 



To his lords he made it. The pageant came ; 
Their robes ablaze with diamond flame ; 
They feasted — they drank — their king they praised ; 
While music its loftiest pseans raised. 

Then — when the feast to its highest rose, 
And flowed the wine — as the red wine flows, 
And jest with the music, commingled there, 
And banished afar was all thought of care, 



THE WORLD'S GEE AT EMPIRES. 



Tre king 

still 

unsatisfied 



Then, at once, the king, — as though still in need 
Of something to fill his insatiate greed — 
With a daring, impious, aweless word — 
Which through all the halls of mirth were heard,- 



Vessels of 
gold and 
silver, 
Dan. 8 : 2. 



Spake — "Bring me those silver cups and gold, 
Which my father from Jewry brought — to hold 
My richest, choicest, redest wine ; 
I'll dedicate them to another shrine." 



The 
vessels 
brought and 
filled with 
wine. 
Dan. 5 : 3, 
4. 



So those sacred cups — God's own — were brought, 
And they, straightway, the flowing red wine caught ; 
And the king to his lips a gold-brim pressed — 
While passion inflamed his wine-filled breast. 



The 
braggart 



"Aha ! Aha ! " the Braggart cried : 
" See ! I have the Jew's God unharmed, defied ; 
I am king ! I am king ! ! My throne is strong ; 
It standeth immovable- 



-standeth long." 



Startling 
events. 
Fingers 
writing, 
Dan. 5: 5. 



Over 

against the 
candle- 
stick, Dan. 
5: 5. 



But while he boasted — .while the wine still flowed — 
While those golden cups in the bright light glowed — 
On the wall came the fingers of a man's hand, — 
The fingers writing there, weirdly, grand. 

" Over against the candlestick" — there 
They wrote — in the clear light's brightest glare. 
They wrote — and ' ' the king saw " those fingers all ; 
" Saw the hand- writing on the wall." 



The silent 
writers. 
Meaning 
^folded. 
None read 
the writing 



The king 
trembles. 
Dan. 5 : 6. 



Silently on did those fingers glide — 
Making letters long, and dark, and wide : 
But none could read them. — Did they infold 
A sentence dread, in their outlines bold? 

Then trembled that king — his knees smote then, 
Weakest was he of all earth-born men — 
Pale was his face — his eyes were wild — 
Affrighted was he, — like a dream-scared child. 



A POEM. 



A silence. 
A spell. 
A horror. 



The king. 

Necro- 
mancers 
called. 
Dan. 5 : 7. 

Dumb. 



Then the music ceased — a silence fell 

On that boisterous throng ; a fatal spell ; 

A fearful horror — an awful dread ; 

Like the presence of ghastly men, long dead. 

Then, in haste spake the King— "The astrologers bring- 
Chaldeans — soothsayers — this strange thing 
I must know — they must read it." In they came. 
They were dumb. Those words they could not name. 



noubied S Then the King was troubled : his countenance changed ; 

Dan. 5: 9. He sat on his throne like one deranged. 

" His lords were astonied." All skill had failed. 

And still, before those ivorcls they quailed. 



Nitocris 
comes. 
Dan. 5: 
10, 11. 



Dan. 5 : 13 



Daniel. 

67 years 
prime 
minister to 
the kings. 



Dissolve 

doubts. 

Interpret. 

Dan. 5 : 

14-17. 

See! the 

writing. 

Oh 

Prophet, 

read ! 

Chain of 

e;old. 

third 

ruler. 



Then Nitocris came : — Queen-Mother she, 
And spake — "O ! King, live forever! He, 
That Daniel, lives " — he has wisdom — skill : — 
And the holy gods do his spirit fill." 

" Call in that Daniel !" — he cried aloud, 

With a voice that startled that cowering 1 crowd. 

Forth went the messenger — In lie came, 

Who, alone, could those words, mysterious, name. 

Quiet, unconscious of self, and strong 

In the right, and a fearless foe to wrong 

Was he. Long years he had, premier, stood — 



To the kings, and still was impeachless- 



-good. 



The words came then — " I have heard of thee, 
That thou canst all ' doubts ' < dissolve,' for me. 
That thou canst ' interpretations ' ' make.' 
See there — see the words which make me quake. 

" Oh ! Prophet of God — at once now read ; 
Read thou that writing, so fearful. Heed — 
Heed thou my oath — A chain of gold 
I give thee — and thou shalt third office hold. 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Daniel's 
answer. 

Dan. 5 : 17 



Dan. 5 : 


18 


Dan. 5: 


19 


Dan. 5 ; 


20 


Dan. 5 : 


21 


Dan. 5 : 


22 



Dan. 5 : 23 



The clear- 

visioned 

seer. 



His words. 
Dan. 5 : 25 



Dan. 5 : 25 



The 

meaning 
wh folded. 



Then Daniel made answer, and said " Oh ! Kins:, 
Be thy gifts to thyself — Thy rewards all bring 
To another. Yet will I the writing read : 
Give thou to it King, thy careful heed. 

Oh ! thou King— The Most High God gave 
Thy grandfather kingdom, and many a slave 
Bowed to him — and peoples and nations feared 
Him — and his name was well revered. 

But his heart was lifted up — his mind 
Was hardened in pride — from human kind 
Like a beast — to the fields, he, then, was driven, 
' And his body was wet with the dews of heaven.' 

And thou Belshazzar — this all hast known, 
Yet wouldst not the God of heaven, own ; 
But hast raised thyself against his will, 
And didst his vessels with thy wine fill. 

Thou hast drunk thy wine, and thy gods praised, 
And hast not, to the God of heaven, raised 
Thy voice — in whose hands thy breath is — whose 
Are thy ways, thy paths to choose." 

Thus out spake Daniel — that God-made Seer 
Whose vision — through all those words ran clear ; 
Then spake on still — with inspired tongue, 
Till his clear-toned words — through the palace rung. 

" These, King, are the words on yonder wall ; 
That, thus, do thee and thy lords appal ; 
That hold in them there — thy swift-winged fate, 
For which thou dost, now, trembling, wait. 

" 'Mene, mene, tekel, uphaesin,' — they read : 
Give thou, oh ! king, to them careful heed, 
Hear thou, their im-folded meaning now ; 
For henceforth is the crown torn from thy brow. 



A POEM. 



Dan. 5 : 25 



Dan. 5 : 28 



Dan. 5 : 50 



The 

Euphrates 

leaves its 

old-time 

channel. 

New 

military 

road. 

They pass 
through 
the gates. 
Up the 
streets. 



" ' Weighed in the balance and wanting,' thou ; 

« Numbered,' ' finished,' 'divided,' < thy kingdom' now 

The hosts of Cyrus — pre-named — appear. 

Thy reign, oh ! Belshazzar endeth here." 

He ceased : and the king, with trembling fear — 
The hosts invading, coming near — 
Commanded — and hung a "chain of gold 
On his neck " — and he did, third office, hold. 

Then Euphrates' waters — their place forsook, 
And, willing, their new-made channels took ; 
And the armies of Cyrus marched along 
Through the old-time channels — in phalanx strong. 

Through the brazen gates on the banks, they passed ; 
Up the streets, in triumph came, at last ; 
And with spears agleam, and shining shield, 
They made the Babel-men, awe-struck, yield. 



Eelshaz- 
zar slain. 
Dan. 5: 
30, 31. . 



The sun's 
view of the 
scene. 



Men go up, 
then down. 



The end of 
Medo- 

Persians to 
come. 



II.— MEDO-PEESIA. 

" That night was Belshazzar," the Chaldean, "slain," 
And the Medo-Persians began their reign, 
And the Prophet's words — unfailing then — 
Were proof that Jehovah foreshadows men. 

Next morning the sun — on his blazing car 
Rode out — and gazed on those scenes afar ; 
And saw, on those walls, the banners hung, 
Which the victors out on the breeze had fluno;. 

And he said : — Aha ! I know how men 
Mount up in pride, and descend again. 
The Medo-Persians bear rule, but, lo ! 
They too will find their strong, conquering foe. 

Then he hasted his car to the distant west — 
And covered his brow with a crimson crest ; 
And time rolled on — with its checkless flow ; 
And the victor lay — like the vanquished, low. 



10 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Medo- 

Persian 

Empire. 

Cyrus. 

Cambyses. 

Smcrdis. 



Darius 
Hystaspes. 

Xerxes. 



Dan. 11 : 2 

Xerxes' 

soldiers, 

2,641,610. 

Total 

army, 

5,283,220. 

Ther- 
mopylae. 
Leonidas 
and his 
300 
Spartans. 



Xerxes 
turned 
back. 
His days 
ended at 
home. 



Longimi- 

nus. 

Xerxes II. 

Sogdianus. 

Nothus. 

Mnemon. 

Ochus. 

Codoma- 

nus. 



The 

Greek 

Empire. 

Alexander 

Dan. 8 : 21 

Dan. 10: 

21. 

Dan. 11 : 3 

Dan. 8 : 8. 
Dan. 7 : 6. 



First; Cyrus the Great was grand and strong; 
But the cruel Cambyses reigned e'er long : 
Then Smerdis, the Magian, took the throne, 
And wore the crown that he did not own. 

Then the third from Cyrus, Hystaspes, came, 
But only awhile — then another name — 
" The fourth," that Xerxes — " far richer, he 
Than they all," could, together, consolid, be. 

Then he stirred up all against Grecia's land, 
And his army vast, was magnificent, grand ; 
'Twas a world of imposing, armed men, 
Who marched on Leonidas' Spartans then. 

And at the old pass of Thermopylae, 
Stood the noble three hundred — all to be 
Cut down, and their bodies were ramparts made, 
Till they by a renegade were betrayed. 

But Xerxes was turned to a backward flight, 
Like a hawk, an eagle had plucked in fight : 
Then ended his days, at home, at last ; 
And soon his empire waned — and — passed. 

Followed : — Longiminus — Xerxes the second ; then 
Sogdianus and Nothus, — when 
Mnemon, and Ochus, and Arses, came, 
And Darius Codomanus — last to name. 

III.— GKECIA. 

For that Grecian came — Alexander he, 
The Great, — from the west — with his soldiery ; 
And ended the Medo-Persian's reign, 
As the Grecian stood over Codomanus, slain. 

But into four parts that kingdom broke, 
Broke — by the wine-cup's fearful stroke ; 
That Hercules cup : — Alexander fell— 
And, sounded, that hour, his kingdom's knell. 



A POEM. 



11 



Dan. 8 : 8. 
Dan. 11 : 4 



Thrace. 
Lysima- 
chus. 

B.C. 300 to 
B.C. 280. 
20 years. 
Macedon. 
Cassander. 
B.C. 336 to 
B.C. 168. 
12 rulers. 
168 years. 
Syria. 
Seleucus 
Nicator. 
B C. 300 to 
B.C. 65. 
22 rulers. 
285 years. 
Egypt. 
Ptolomy 
Soter. 
B.C. 300 to 
B.C. 30. 
14 rulers. 
270 years. 



The 
Fourth 
Empire. 
Rome. 



Luke 2: 1 



The 
Csesars' 
rule the 
world. 



Matt. 2 : 1 
Luke 2:7. 
Luke 2 : 8. 
Luke 9: 13 



The King 

OF THE 

Jews. 
Matt. 2 : 1 
Num. 24 : 
17. 



It was parted " toward the four winds of heaven ; " 
To the four great generals it was given. 
In Macedon, Syria, Egypt, Thrace, 
Their lines all to their end we trace. 

In Thrace, was Lysimachus — twenty years 
He reigned — and, thereafter, no king appears. 
Cassander in Macedon reigned, and, then, 
There followed the reign of twenty men. 

In Syria, Seleucus Nicator, enthroned, 
Was folio wed, till many the crown-royal owned, 
And Ptolomy Soter in Egypt began ; 
And, till 30 B.C. the king-line ran. 

Thus those four were conquered, one by one, 
And the Grecian reign, at last, was done. 
And the fourth great empire stood, to own 
The imperial purple, crown and throne. 

IV.— ROME. 

So the Roman wore that royal crown, 
As these four into dust went, humbled, down ; 
'And strong was he, and far and wide, 
His dominion spread, with august pride. 

The Caesars ruled : — and they held the world 
In their power — and their eagle flags unfurled, 
Wherever their conquering feet might tread ; 
And the world knew its mighty, Roman head. 

Then in the days of Caesarian power, 
There came a long-watched-for joyous hour, 
When angels announcing, did, full-souled, sing 
The birth of the Saviour — the God-man King. 

The King of the Jews, in Bethlehem born ; 
The hope of the world — the star of the morn ; 
And he grew to the stature of man — the heir 
Of David's crown, King-royal, fair. 



12 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Isa. 53 : 3. 

Luke 17 : 

25. 

Mark. 15: 

14, 13; 

John 19 : 

6 ; et al. 

John 19 : 

15. 

John 19 : 2 

Pahurus 

acvleatus. 

Matt. 27 : 

29. 

John 19 : 3 



John 19 : 
18. 

Luke 23 : 
38. 

Matt. 27 : 
37. 



But the Jews rejected him — and the crowd 
Mobbed him — and madly they cried aloud, 
" Away with him, crucify — crucify" — " We 
Have no king but Caesar ' — No king is He." 

Then they plated the thorns for his royal crown ; 
And robed him in scarlet — bowing down ; 
And they, mocking, cried ; "Hail King or the Jews ! 
And thus did earth's rightful King abuse. 

So ' ' they crucified him " — and Pilate said, — 

In a titular way — above his head, 

In the languages, — Greek, Latin, and old Hebrews', 

" This is Jesus, The King of the Jews." 



Mark. 15 : 
34. 



Luke 23 : 
53. 


Matt. 28 : 
1. 

Matt. 28 : 
2. 


Matt. 28 : 

2. 

Matt. 28 : 

3. 

Matt. 28 : 

4. 


Acts 1 : 9. 


Acts 1 : 10 


Acts 1 : 11 



There he hung on the cross — with thieves he hung ; 
While his soul with agony fierce, was wrung ; 
Three fearful hours, — while his' blood dropped down 
To the earth, from the wounds of th' thorny crown. 

There — "Eloi, eloi, lama sabathani" 

(" My God, why hast thou forsaken me?") 

He cried — in agony, then he died ; 

His blood flowing down — from his spear-pierced side. 

Then they took him down, and in Joseph's tomb 
They laid him — amidst its damp and gloom ; 
Till the morning came of that third— -first — day, 
When an angel came, rolling the stone away. 

All an" ash with glory — then sat him there, 
The door-keeper ; blinding, with lightning's glare 
The soldiers — till dead-men-like they fell, 
And Jesus arose, conquering death and hell. 

Then up to heaven He in grandeur went, 
And down his angels, He straightway sent, 
To say : — This Jesus shall . . . come again, 
So, as He went, in the clouds, the same. 



A POEM. 



13 



Tiberius. 

47 

Emperors 
reigned to 
A.D. 395. 



Rome 
divided 
A.D. 395. 

Half 
crown. 
Modern 
diversions. 

Areadius 
and 

Honorius. 
93 

Emperors 
in the 
East; 10 
in the West 
197 Popes. 



31 Sultans. 

Constanti- 
nople. 



Imperial 
Rome — 
broken. 

Its 

preroga- 
tive lost. 

All the 
four 
empires 
passed 
after 
witlessly 
fillingtheir 
God- 
designed 
place. 



Nebuchad- 
nezzar's 
dream. 

Sees image 

Human 
form. 
Head of 

gold. 

Silver part 
Medo- 
Persian 



TJien Tiberius reigned. — Then he died : 

And forty and seven, in their pride, 

Reigned all, and passed, each one, away ; 

And the strength of the kingdom did then decay. 

For division came — and East and "West 
Each took a part of that high behest ; 
And a half-crown wore — till many kings 
Shared, dividing still, those empire things. 

Arcadius and Honorius reigned, 
When they, their twin-throne-place, had gained. 
Till ninety and three, reigned in the east, 
While, in the west, with ten, they ceased. 

But the Popes were a hundred and ninety-seven; 
Who claimed themselves the elect of heaven, 
And thirty-one Sultans have been seen, 
Who have reigned in the city of Constantine. 

MODERN NATIONS. 

Now imperial Rome is broken all, 

Into fragments ; — strong, weak, large and small ; 

It has lost its imperial prcerogare now, 

And the crown rests not on a Csesar's brow. 

And thus have those empires, four, all passed, 
From Babylon, first, to Roman, last, 
Have their places all — most witless filled, 
As though designing, — with wisdom skilled 

And knowing their order — as God revealed 

Their place — when in dreams — the eyes were sealed 

Of Nebuchadnezzar — and he saw stand, 

" In vision, the image, great, terrible," grand. 

That human form, — whose head of gold, 
That Nebuchadnezzar's crown well-told, 
And its breast and arms, of silver made, 
The Medo-Persian rule portrayed. 



14 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 



Belly and 
sides brass 
Greece. 
Legs of 
iron. 
Feet and 
toes, Rome 

Down- 
ward, bead 
to feet. 
Gold to 
clay. 

A complete 
tale. 

Strong and 
broken. 



Further 
scenes. 



A 

mountain. 



Stone cut 
out. 
Dan- 2 : 34 

Falls on 
the feet. 



Dan. 2 : 34 

Feet 
crushed. 



Stone 
becomes a 
mountain. 
Dan. 2 : 35 
Fifth 
Empire. 



The first 
mountain, 
God's 
dominion. 



Then — the belly and sides of brass, the third, 
(The Grecian rule,) it well averred. 
Then the legs of iron — the Roman sway, 

To the FEET AND TOES OF IRON AND CLAY. 

What a downward course — from " head to feet," — 
From the gold to clay — not more complete 
Could a tale be — told of degenerate, 
Corrupted, and weakened, Imperial state. 

" Partly strong — partly broken," the final tale ; 
The clay-mixed iron is no avail 
For strength — but, brittle and ready to fall, 
It soon shall " be found, no more at all." 

Then, while the king on that image gazed, 
By its brightness awed, and " sore amazed," 
A mountain high did before him rise, 
Uplifting its peak above the skies. 

Then he saw till a stone, let loose ahigh, 
Descended, — rushing, crushing, nigh, 
Till it fell on the feet of that image there — 
Like a bolt of vengeance from the air. 

Then those Iron-clay feet were crushed — and all 
The image was broken — to dust ground 'small ; 
The gold, — the silver — brass — iron, and clay, 
And blown, like threshing-floor-chaff, away. 

V.— THE MOUNTAIN KINGDOM. 

Blown away — and the stone at once became 
A mountain — to bear an imperial name, 
The Fifth Great Empire, — earth to fill, 
And be the upholder of God's high will. 

For that mountain, — the first, — was God's domain; 
That limitless realm of His own reign — 
Without beginning or end of years ; 
Extended o'er all His shining spheres. 



A POEM. 



15 



What was 

the 

'• stone ?" 

The 

kingdom 

given the 

Son. 

Dan. 7: 

13, 14. 

Dan. 2 : 35 

Dan. 2 : 44 

Fifth 
Empire. 



Kingdom 

fills the 

Earth. 

Dan. 7 : 27 

Matt. 6: 

10. 

Dan. 7 : 27 



God sets 
up a 

kingdom. 
Dan. 2 : 47 



Isa. 32: 1. 



Micah 4 : 3 



Saints take 
the 

kingdom. 
Dan. 7: 
18, 22. 
Isa. 33 : 17 
Rev. 4: 10 

The trans- 
muted 
crown . 
Rev. 19 : 
12. 

Rev. 1 : 7. 



Ps.72: 8. 



That " stone cut out," was the Kingdom He 
Gave to His Son, — that He might be 
Earth's Ruler — when it, at last, should fall 
On that human-form image, and crush it all. 

Then, itself " a great mountain " to stand, at last, 
Forever, — when earthly rule has passed ; 
When the four are broken, — thenceforth to be 
The Fifth Great Empire eternally. 

With its greatness the whole earth-realm to fill, 
Under the heaven — when God's good " will" 
Shall " be done on earth as it is in heaven," 
And " the kingdom" shall, " to the saints," be given. 

" In the days of these " — modern Europe — " kings," 
Who have heired and conquested these Kingdom things, 
Shall the God of heaven that Kingdom raise, 
To stand forever — to His high praise. 

Then that King shall, in righteousness, peerless reign, — 
Christ Jesus the Lord, — whose vast domain 
Shall be filled with peace, and war's red tide 
Shall be rebuked — like the deep sea, dried. 

Then — "the saints shall" — coming from every clime, 
" Take it " — when comes the measured time : 
And their eyes shall the King, in his beauty, see ; 
And they shall honor him loyally. 

That Thorn-Crown, transmuted to gold shall be, 
When He comes again — and each eye shall see 
Him — and earth's kindreds all, shall wail ; 
And his mockers will, cringing cowards, quail. 

Grand hour ! earth's rulers have never known, 
Such dazzling splendor of crown and throne ; 
Such honor as his, who, the King, shall be ; 
Whose " dominion shall be from sea to sea." 



16 

Dan. 2 : 44 



Earth's 

kingdoms 

to become 

Christ's. 

Rev. 11: 

15. 

Rom. 14 : 

11. 

Phil. 2: 10 

One 
empire 
finally. 
Dan. 2: 44 



Dan. 7 : 18 

God's 
remark- 
able 

method of 
repre- 
senting 
human 
govern- 
ments. 

Human 

skill 

barred. 

Man's 

fifth 

monarchy. 



Napoleon 
Bonaparte 
I. 

His 

fruitless 

attempt. 



From the 
stone to 
the 
mountain. 

Ps. 72 : 8. 



The 
prayer, 

Matt. 6 : 
10. 

Dan. 2 : 34 
Dan. 7 : 27 



THE WORLD'S GREAT EMPIRES. 

Then will Babylonian no more reign ; 

Nor shall Meclo-Persian rule again ; 

Nor Grecian, nor Roman, shall sceptre sway, — 

They, then, will have passed like a dream away. 

For "the kingdoms of" earth shall all, then, "be 
The kingdoms of Christ," — " and every knee 
Shall bow to him," — and, glad acclaim 
Shall be, to his own, wondrous name. 

They shall all, then, into one be cast, 
Moulded most grandly strong, and vast ; 
To stand forever ; and, thenceforth, be 
The home of the saints, eternally. 

How strange that God should have thus foretold, 
That the human form — with its head of gold, 
And metals all, to its very feet, — 
Should, man's Empiric days, complete. 

Should, forever, bar all human skill ; 
Should, forever, foil all human will : 
That never again could a monarchy, 
Of man's, as a fifth, established be. 

So that Man of Destiny could not stand, 
Earth's monarch, and rule the boundless land ; 
For he, no empire was skilled to build ; 
That image, without him, was formed and filled. 

So Regnum La/pidis — Stone Kingdom, — shall be 
The Regnum 3fontis — The Mountain, — and we 
Shall see human-form-governments, nevermore, 
But our Christ shall reign ever, from shore to shore. 

Oh, Christ ! " Thy Kingdom," the best of all, 
" Let come," " the stone," at once, let " fall ; " 
Let the image be broken, the mountain rise ; 
Let thy throne be set beneath the skies. 



A POEM. 



17 



Num. 14: 

11. 

Dan. 2 : 34 



1 Thess. 1 : 

10. 

Matt. 13 : 

41. 

Mark 13 : 

27. 

Isa. 25 : 9. 

1 Cor. 15 : 
54. 

Heb. 9 : 28 

2 Thess. 1 ; 
9. 

Rev. 22 : 
20. 

Rev. 19 : 
12. 

Gen. 3 : 15 

Rom. 16 : 

20. 

1 Thess. 4: 

16. 

Rev. 22 : 

12. 

1 Thess. 4: 

17. 



Where the imago has stood, let the mountain stand ; 

Let the glory of God fill all the land ; 

Let the winds, the chaff blow, far away; 

Let the mountain be made from the stone, to stay.* 

We wait thy coming to take thy throne ; 
To gather the heaven-born sons, — thine own ; 
We wait, with abated and soul-full breath, 
To shout our victory over death. 

** Lord Jesus, come quickly " — in all thy might ; 
" Come," — end the evil, — make firm the right ; 
$f < Even so, come, Lord Jesus," " come quickly " thou 
Earth's ' ' many crowns " await thy brow. 

Come, — end earth's kingdoms, and Satan's reign ; 

Come, — bid thy dead ones live again ; 

Come, — give to thy faithful ones reward : 

" And so shall we ever be with the Lord." 



INDEX OF NAMES. 



Abbot, J. S. C, 2C7, 291, 
304,305, 310, 315, 319 
Abclolonymus, 151 
Abraham, 10, 484, 485 
Achemenes, 55 
Abijah. 486 
Adam, "10, 484 
Adbeel, 19 
Adrammeleck, 23 
Addison, 263 
Adrian, 229 
iEsop, 69 

Agapitus, (Pope) 263 
Ahasuerus, 93 
Aholah, 435 
Aholibah, 435 
Ahaz, 19, 21, 487 
Ahaziah, 487 

Alexander, (Son of Amy- 
nitus II.) 132 
(The Great,) 134, 140, 

162 
(Pastor,) 236 
(Czar,) 291 
II. (Czar,) 339 
Alexandrinus, 166 
Albinus, 230 
Alaric, 256 
Alceman, 123 
Amaziah, 487 

Amraphael, 17 

Amphyctyon, 110 

Amilcar, 194 

Ambrose, (Bishop,) 242 

Amurath, 275 

Amynitus, 132 

Anacrion, 123 

Antoninus I. 229 

Antoninus II. 230 

Anthemius, 258 

Anastasius, 259 

Antony, Marc, 197 

Anaxarchus, 160 

Anatolius, 166 

Antiochus, (The Great,) 
170 

Anthimus, 264 

Antoinette, Maria, 2S0 

Aphidas, 111 

Arphaxad, 12, 484 

Armijo, 341 

Aram, 12 



Area, 341 
Arbaces, 17 

Arnaud, (Marshal,) 324 
Arses, 95 
Aridaus, 163 
Aristides, 125 
Aristotle, 140 
Artabanes, 84 
Arabi, (Pasha,) 329 
Archalochus, 123 
Aristarehus, 124 
Arcadius, 243, 253 
Aristophanes, 124 
Arius, 237 
Aratus, 124 
Aristodemus, 112 
Asa, 486 
Astyages, 55 
Aster, 137 
Astarte, 16 
Asphrodite, 16 
Ashtaroth, 16 
Athaliah, 487 
Athman, 275 
Attalus, 139 
Athanasius, 166 
Atilius, M, 194 
Athelaric, 261 
Aurelian. 233 
Azariah, 487 

Baal, 14 
Bagoas, 95 
Bajazet, 275 
Balaclan, 18 

Merodac, 18 
Balaam, 214 
Balak, 214 
Beadle, 412 
Benedict, (Pope,) 266 
Benedict VII. (Pope,) 268 
Bekir, Abu, 273 
Belshazzar, 34, 38, 46 
Bertezena, 271 
Belissarius, 264, 350 
Bertrade, 267 
Bernice, 168 
Bius, 123 

Bismarck, 330, 338 
Blucher, 298 
Bliss, P P, 428 
Boniface II. (Pope,) 261 



Boniface III. (Pope,) 26G 
Bonaparte, Napoleon, I, 
278-286 

Joseph, 292 

Louis, 310 

Napoleon, III, 310 

Jerome Napoleon, 
335 
Bower, 261, 265 
Bostar, 194 
Bonar, 427 
Booth, Wilkes, 200 
Brutus, Marcus, 198 
Burke, 279 
Byron, (Lord,) 22, 129, 301 

Cain, 10 

Cainan, 10, 483 

Canaan, 12 

Cambyses I, 55, 62 

Cambyses II, 76-81 

Cato, 198 

Cassius, 199 

Caligula, 220 

Caracalla, 230 

Carus, 233 

Catherine, (Empress,) 282 

Caesar, Julius, 196 

Octavius, 203 

Augustus, 209 

Tiberius, 216 

Claudius, 220 
Calistratus, 135 
Caridemus, 148 
Caranus, 132 
Cassander, 164 
Callenicus, Seleucus, 170 
Carlormam, 267 
Cavignac,, 309 
Cecrops, 110 
Cecrops II, 111 
Ceraunus. Seleucus, 170 
Chillo, 123 

Charles, (of Anjou,) 217 
Charles I, 169 
Charles II, 170 
Chandler, Dr. 232 
Chaumette, 285 
Chauvlin, 284 
Chittim, 108 
Charlemagne, 267 
Cicero, 198 



Index of Names. 



Cincinnatus, L. Q, 192 
Claudius, II. 233 
Clisthanes, 120 
Cleobulus, 123 
Claudius, Appius, 192 

Eoman Commander, 
194 
Cleopatra, (Queen of 
Esrpt,) 205 

(Wife of Philip,) 139 
Clarke, Adam, 367, 404 
Clement IV. (Pope,) 270 
Clemens, 166 
Codrus, 111 
Commodus, 230 
Columbus, C, 277 
Constantine, (The Great,) 
235-240 

II. 240, 

XI. 254, 276 
Constantius, I. 233 

II. 240 
Constans, 240 
Couch, John, 421 
Cowper. 106 
Crauus, 111 
Croesus, 34, 67 
Cush, 12 

Cumming, John, 318, 427 
Cunnegunda, 268 
Cuesta, 341 
Cybele, 16 

Cyrus, (The Great,) 33, 
46, 48-55, 76 . 

(The younger,) 95 
Cyaxares I, 25, 55 
Cyaxares II, 55 

Daniel, 31 

Darius, (The Mede,) 33, 
38, 55-61 

(Son of Hystaspes,) 
82-S7, 125 

Nothus, 95 

Codominus, 96, 140 
David, (The King,) 90 

486 
Dejoces, 52, 53 
Decius, 231 
Demetrius, (of Philippi,) 

263 
Demosthenes, 125, 136-138 
De Major, 352 
Demophoon, 111 
Diogenes, 144 
Diocletian, 233 
Dinocrates, 156 
Domitian, 228 
Dodanim, 108 
Duma, 19 
Duilus, Cornelius C, 194 



Eber, 19, 484 
Egbert, 279 
Elam, 11 
Elisha, 108 
Emiliauus, 233 
Emanuel, Victor, 309 
Enos, 10, 483 
Enoch, 10, 483 
Epiphanes,(Ptolomy,)171 
Erichthonius, 110 
Erectheus, 110 
Esdras, 94 
Eser-Haddon, 24 
Eurotas, 112 
Eurysthenes, 112 
Evergetes.(Ptolomy,) 168 
Ezekiel, 27 
Felix III. 261 
Eloriannus, 233 
Floras, Gessius, 221 
Frederick, (The Great,) 48 

(The Captain,) 48 
Fox, 279 

Galba, 11 

Gallus, 233 

Galerius, Chlorus, 233 

Galianus, 234 

Gamazo, 341 

Gambetta, Leon M, 335 

George III. (King,) 289 

Geta, 30 

Gibbon, 241, 280 

Giron, 341 

Gladstone, 337 

Glycerius, 258 

Gomer, 11 

Gobryas, 86 

Gratian, 242 

Gregory, 266 

VII. (Pope,) 269 
XVI. (Pope,) 308 

Grenville, (Lord,) 289 

Guion, 341 

Hadar 19 

Hamecl II, Abdul, 244, 277 

Ham, 12, 156' 

Hammon, 156 

Hagar, 272 

Hananiah, 27 

Hasdrubal, 194 

Hannibal, 194 

Hesiod, 123 

Helaogabalus, 231 

Heraclius, 274 

Helen, 110 

Hephsestion, 150 

Henry, Duke of Norfolk, 

169 
Henry II, 268 



Henry IV, 269 
Hercules, 111 
Hercules Maximum, 233 
Herod, (The Great,) 210 
Herodotus, 57 
Hezekiah, 487 
Hipparchus, 124 
Homer, 123, 196 
Hortense, 310 
Hostilianus, 232 
Honorius, 243, 253 
Hostilius Tullus, 189 
Horatius, M, 193 
Hippanax, 123 
Hypatius, 263 

Innocent, (Pope,) 352 

III. (Pope,) 352 
Ion, 107 

Irving, Edward, 426 
Irene, 268 
Isaac, 272, 485 
Ishmael, 19, 272 

Jaddus, 153 

James, (Brother of John, ) 

221 
(The Lord's Brother,) 

221 
Japheth, 11 

Janus, (God of war,) 209 
Jared, 10, 483 
Jateur, 19 
Javan, 11 
Jason, 111 
Jehoiakim, 26 
Jehoiachin, 26 
Jehoram, 487 
Jehosaphat, 487 
Jeroboam, 486 
Jeremiah, 26 
Jesus, 212 
Jewsbury, 92 
John, (Beloved Disciple,) 

228 
• (The Baptist,) 491 

II. (Pope,) 261, ^2 

III. (Pope,) 
Joseph (Husband of Mary) 

211 

Francis, 493 
Josiah, 487 
Jotham, 487 
Jones, 224, 256 
Josephus, 98, 221 
Jovian, 242 
Jonah, 17 

Josephine, (Empress,) 294 
Julian, (The Apostate) 241 
Justin I. 259 

II, 265 



Index of Names. 



Justinian, 259-261 
Jupiter, 156 
Jupiter, Amnion, 156 
Julianius, Didius, 230 

Keclar, 19 
Kedema, 19 

Keppel, 48 

Kings of Egypt, List of, 
166 
Syria, (List of,) 165 

Laborosoarchoad, 34, 35 
Laeedemon, 112 
Lamech, 10, 483 
Lannes, 294 
Laoclice, 168 
Labynit, 34 
Labynetus, 34 
Leonidas, 90, 128 
Leo I. (Emperor,) 259 

II. (Emperor,) 259 

III. (Pope,) 268 

XII. (Pope,) 307 

XIII. (Pope, 316 
Lelex, 112 
Lesseps, F. D, 327 
Lepidus, 204 
Livia, 216 

Lieven, (Prince,) 322 

Lot, 

Louis XIV. 282 

XV. 252 

XVI. 2S0, 282 
XVIII. 298 

Longiminus, Art, 94 
Lud, 12 
Lycurgus, 113 
Lysimachus, 164 

Macrinus, 231 
Maclai, 11, 51 
Magog, 11 
Maimbourg, 238 
Manasseh, 487 
Manlius, L, 194 
Marcianus, 259 
Martens, Ancus, 189 
Martyr, Justin, 230 
Mary, 211 
Mass a, 19 
Mahalaleel, 10, 483 
Mandana, 55 
Maurice, 266 
Majorimanus, 258 
Maximus, 231 
McClellan, Isaac, 306 
Mehdi, El, 333 
Med j id, Abdul, 323 
Medan, 112 
Menestheus, 111 



Meroa, 79 
Meshech, 11 
Methuselah, 10, 483 
Melanthus, 111 
Menschikoff, 321 
Memnon, 145 
Menelaus, 112 
Merodach, 32, 45, 46 
Mibsam, 19 
Michaslouitz, 281 
Middleton, M, 253 
Mignan, 48, 49, 50 
Millard, Madam, 285 
Miller, William, 426 
Miltiades, 125 
Miriam, 229 
Mishael,27 
Mishma, 19 
Mizraim, 12 
Mnemon, Art. 85 
Monvel 285 
Moody, D. L, 428 
Moore, Sir John, 292 
Moreri, "53 

Moses (The Prophet,) 226 
Motassim, 227 
Mohammed, (The Pro- 
phet,) 272-273 
II. 275 
Murat, 333 
Muller, John, Von, 124 

Nabopolasser, 25 

Nabonadius, 34 

Naphish, 19 

Nahor, 19 484 

Narses, 350 

Nazianzen, Gregory, 241 

Nebuchadnezzar, 26, 45 

Nebajoth, 19 

Neraglissar, 33, 45 

Nelson, 

Necho, (King of Egypt,) 

26 
Nepos, Julius, 258 
Nesselrode, (Count,) 322 
Nero, 220 
Nerva, 229 
Nimrocl, 13 
Nicholas, (Czar,) 300 
Ninus, 14 

Niger, (The General), 230 
Ninyas, 17, 442 
Nitocris, 36 
Nicator, Seleucus, 163 
Noah, 10, 484, 

Obeidullah, 333 
Oclius, (Darius Nothus) 
95 



Octavius, Caius, 201 
Octavia, 
Ochus, Art, 95 
Ockam, 353 
Odoacer, 254, 259 
G5basus, 85 
Olympius, 139 
Olmstead, (Prof.) 413 
Omar, 273 
O'Mera, Dr, 320 
Orchan. 275 
Origen, 231, 166 
Orthogrul, 275 
Otho, 222 
Othman, 274 
Oudinot, 311 
Oxyntes, 111 

Pandion, 110 

Paris, Alexander, 109 

Parmenio, 146 

Paul (the Apostle), 221 

Paul (of Russia), 286 

Pausanius I. (Pope,) 133 

Pausanius, (Murderer of 

Philip,) 139 
Pelagius I. (Pope,) 266 

II. (Pope,) 266 
Peleg, 19, 484 
Pepin, 267 
Pereander, 123 
Perdicus, 132 
Pericles, 125, 136 
Pertinax, 230 
Peter, (the Great,) 281 
Peter, (the Apostle,) 221 
Philadelphus, Ptolomy, 

171 
Philip, (of Macedon,) 132 
(28th Roman Emperor 

231 
Phocion, 138 
Phocus, 266 
Phraortes, 55 
Phut, 12 
Pisistratus, 124 
Pitt, William, 279 
Pittacus, 123 
Plato, 125 
Polycarp, 230 
Porter, 48, 49, 50 
Polystratus, 159 
Pompilius, Numa, 189 
Pompey, 196 

Sextus, 205 
Prexaspes, 79 
Priscus, Tarquinus, 189 
Priam, 109 
Probus, 233 
Procles, 112 
Proteus, 160 



Index of Names. 



Pul, 17 
Eacillia, 192 
Raglan, (Lord,) 324 
Rawolf, 49, 50 
Regulus, 194 
Rehoboam, 486 
Reu, 19, 484 
Rich, 48, 49, 50 
Richard III. (King of 

England,) 352 
Robertson, (Dr.) 399 
Rollin, Charles, 143 
Romulus, 189 

Augustulus, 258 
Rossi, (Count,) 309 

Sabinian, (Pope,) 266 
Sagasta, Senora, 341 
Salah, 19, 484 
Sankey, I. D., 428 
Saosduchinos, 25 
Sappho, 123 
Saracus, 25 
Sardanapalus, 17 
Saul, (of Tarsus,) 220 
Scipio, 194 

(Consul,) 196 
Scott, 284 
Scylurus, 84 
Selim I. 277 
Sharezar, 23 
Shem, 11. 
Shalmanassar, 20 
Simonides, 123 
Socrates, 125 
Sogdiauus, 95 
Soliman, (Shah,) 279 

(Magnificent,) 277 
Solomon, (the King,) 486 
Solon, 118 



Sparta, 112 

Spaur, (Count,) 309 

Stesichorus, 123 

Strabo, 15 

Superbus, Tarquinus, 189 

Semiramis, 15, 442 

Senacherib, 21-23 

Seneca, 161 

Seruar, 19, 484 

Seth, 103, 4e3 

Severus, 258 

Alexander, 231 

Septimus, 280 
Shem, 19, 484 
Silverius, (Pope,) 266 
Skobeliff, (General,) 337 
Smerdis, 76 

(Magian,) 81 
Stephen, (Pope,) 267 
Sylvester, (Bishop of 
Rome,) 238, 261 

Tacitus, 233 

Tanaoxares, 76 

Tatnai, 83 

Tarsis, 108 

Tenia, 19 

Terah, 19, 484 

Thales, 123 

Thaman, 275 

Themistocles, 125 

Theodosius I. 243 
II. 259 

Theseus, 111. 

Thespis, 123 

Theophratus, 123 

Theos, Antiochus, 167, 
168, 181, 182 

Thomas, (Earl of Arun- 
del,) 169 



Thymoetes, 111. 
Tiberius II. 266 
Tiglath-Pileser, 19 
Tiras, 11 
Titus, 221, 228 
Tobit, 24 

Tullius, Senilis, 189 
Triumphus, Augustus, 352 
Tygranes, 65 

Valens, 242 
Valentinian, I. 242 

II. 243 

III. 258 
Vespasian, 221, 223 
Victoria, (Queen,) 320 
Vigilius, 266 

Virgil, 205 
Vitellius, 222 
Volney, 48 

Webster, Noah, 400 
Wellington, (Duke of) 298 
Wesley, John, 426 
Willard, Mrs. 198 
William, (Emperor,) 338 
Wolfe, Charles, 293 
Joseph, 426 

Xenophon, 57 

Xerxes, (the Great) 87- 

93, 102, 103, 105, 

127-131 
II, 95 

Zebina, 165 
Zedekiah, 27, 487 
Zeno, 259 
Zerubbabel, 76 
Zeus, 156 



